[blindlaw] Re Witnessing documents as blind lawyer

[Brian Langlois]

O-oh, I'm a notary and I'm totally blind.
Should I give it up?
Brian Langlois, Massachusetts

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <ckrugman at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2012 10:07 PM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Re Witnessing documents as blind lawyer


> As a blind paralegal and formerly as a clinical social workerand advocate 
> I always had a sighted witness such as clerical staff or notary witness 
> documents as I would have no knowledge of how the document was signed or 
> what was written as the signature. It is for this person that a blind 
> person cannot be a notary.
> Chuck Krugman, MSW Paralegal
> 1237 P Street
> Fresno ca93721
> 559-266-9237
> http://www.linkedin.com/pub/chuck-krugman/b/357/722
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Elizabeth Rene" <emrene at earthlink.net>
> To: <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2012 3:02 PM
> Subject: [blindlaw] Re Witnessing documents as blind lawyer
>
>
>>I think one should first look carefully at one's state statutes regarding 
>>documents that must be witnessed: Wills, deeds, etc., to see what makes 
>>them valid or invalid.  It might be that one doesn't need even to see the 
>>document signed, but only to have, e.g. the testator, grantor, etc. say in 
>>your presence that the signature is his or hers.
>>
>> And there's always a little theatre in lawyering, I think.  If you're 
>> worried about how it will look to your client to have a blind person 
>> witnessing a document, why not have a notary public there, with all her 
>> seals and affidavits, to acknowledge the signature, with you and whomever 
>> else to sign off as witnesses?  It might not be legally required to make 
>> your document valid, but could put the client's and your own mind at 
>> rest. And there's nothing to being made a notary, so your secretary could 
>> serve that function, with no extra cost to your client.  This is with the 
>> caveat that my words aren't legal advice, and, as Bill Handle always says 
>> on his radio show, "worth every cent you paid for it!"
>>
>> Elizabeth
>>
>>
>>
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>
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