What usually needs notarizing
- Sworn statements by a next of kin.
- Insurance and benefit claim forms that require a notarized signature.
- Authorizations signed by a relative who cannot be present.
- Documents heading to another country with the deceased or with the paperwork.
- Affidavits about lost documents or about family relationships.
Families with relatives abroad
This is where it gets slow, and where I can help most. When a document has to be used in another country, it usually needs an apostille from the Florida Department of State on top of the notarization, and sometimes a translation. Countries outside the Hague Convention, such as Cuba, need consular legalization instead, which takes longer still.
I notarize, translate between English and Spanish, and explain the order the steps have to go in, so nothing is filed twice.
A note about certificates
Death certificates are public records. A notary cannot certify a copy of one: certified copies come from the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics or the county. If the certificate is going abroad, it is that certified copy that gets the apostille.
Knowing this in advance saves families a week they do not have.
How I work with a funeral home
At your premises or at the family's home, at short notice, and without making the appointment heavier than it needs to be. Identification is checked and the signature witnessed, quietly and in a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you certify a copy of a death certificate?
- No. It is a public record. Certified copies come from Vital Statistics or the county, and those are the ones that can be apostilled.
- How quickly can you come?
- Same-day is often possible in Polk County, including evenings and weekends.
- Can a relative abroad sign?
- Yes, through a remote online session, which is often the fastest way to unblock a file.
- Do you help with the apostille?
- I notarize and guide the filing. The apostille itself is issued by the Florida Department of State.