[blindlaw] Re Witnessing documents as blind lawyer

[ckrugman at sbcglobal.net]

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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