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POAs: Signing in "Counterparts"

If the document owner and their agents (POAs) are in different states, they do not need to be in the same room to sign. Instead, documents can be signed in counterparts.

  1. Individual Signing: Each person signs their specific signature page in their own location.

  2. Notarization: Each signer must sign in front of a local Notary Public.

  3. Consolidation: Once all signature pages are complete, the original physical pages should be mailed to the document owner, and a digital scan should be kept for safekeeping.


Out-of-State Notary Acknowledgments

Our forms default to the state of the document owner. However, notaries in other states (or U.S. Embassies) may insist on using their own state-specific acknowledgment forms.

  • This is acceptable: It is perfectly fine for a notary to swap in their local acknowledgment form.

    For example, on one extreme, the notaries who work at United States embassies abroad will always use their own special forms. That is okay.

  • Ideally, the document owner or their advisor would then combine all the electronic copies into one definitive version, which can be used to transact business in the future.

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