The Document Diva - Long Beach Mobile Notary & Apostille 562-314-4319

Have you been asked to get a California Apostille for your document that is going out of the country? Initially, when people hear the phrase apostille, they are confused because they are unfamiliar with the term.

An apostille is a state or federal authentication that allows the document to be sent from one country to another without any further intervention. While the apostille process may at first seem cumbersome, it is a much easier process than documents being to non-apostille countries.

The apostille process requires a document to be signed or notarized by an appointed government official, and the Secretary of State authenticates that signature, or if it's a federal document, the Department of State in Washington D.C.

According to the statement on apostilles, apostilles do not validate the contents of a document. It simply certifies the authenticity of the signing officer, their capacity and the identity of the seal or stamp on the document.

Apostilles are frequently required on powers of attorney, divorce decrees, and school records.

I provide a convenient mobile apostille service. My service includes the travel to you, document notarization, and the return delivery of your apostille. I cover Long Beach, the Southbay, and Orange County. I can be reached at 562-314-4319 by phone or text.

A power of attorney allows an agent appointed by the principal to sign on their behalf if they are unable to for some reason. The most common reason I come across is due to sickness.

Commonly I am called to hospitals or convalescent homes because a patient's sickness or injury has reached the point where they need someone to make financial or healthcare decisions for them.

Sometimes I am asked if witnesses are required to be present at the time of the signing. The short answer is no because in California the notary is the only independent witness needed. But if the document requires it and it's being used in another state then yes, witnesses are required.

The only requirement is that the witnesses cannot be mentioned in the document. They can even be relatives as long as they, once again, are not mentioned in the power of attorney.

Even though I've been a mobile notary for over ten years, I still run across people who have never heard of the service. They know what a notary public is, but their interaction with one has been limited to walking into a bank with their document to have it notarized. Thankfully, I've been able to introduce many happy clients to my services.

A mobile notary is a notary that travels to meet with clients that need their documents notarized. Often when a client requires a traveling notary, they are unable to leave their location to find a notary, so it's much more convenient to have a notary travel to them. Because a trip is involved, there is a travel fee plus the $15 per notarization fee.

On a daily basis, I go to businesses, hospitals, convalescent homes, residences, coffee shops, or any other convenient location to assist clients with their essential documents. The most frequently notarized documents are powers of attorney, health care directives, and in the summer months parental permission to travel letters.

If you require a mobile notary in Long Beach, Lakewood, Paramount, Compton, Wilmington, Carson, or any other surrounding city, please give The Document Diva a call.

Effective January 2017, the California notary per signature fee increased from $10 to $15 for the first time in over 20 years! That's a 50% increase which is the highest raise I have ever received; when I worked for Corporate America my largest increase was only .35!

Hopefully, other states will follow suit because across the country the notary fee varies widely, as it can be as little as $2 per signature. I am not sure how anyone can make a living on $2 a signature, but that is the fee in several states such as Arizona, Idaho, and Georgia.

Thankfully, California recognizes the value that notaries provide and the liability we take on. As a notary, you are personally responsible for your errors. Anytime you perform a notarization you open yourself up to litigation. Even though you are an officer of the state, the state does not provide any protection against lawsuits.

Personally, I have never been called into court though some of my colleagues have. With that said, law enforcement and attorneys have contacted me over the years about a few notarizations that ended up in their hands.

A fellow notary was sued after someone illegally copied his stamp and forged his signature in a real estate transaction. It was only due to his personal errors and omission insurance that prevent him from being dragged into court.

With the personal liability that's involved in being a notary plus the cost of doing business, the increase came at a perfect time.

Well, you've already found me so your search for a notary is over! Lol But if you are looking for a notary in a city outside of the Long Beach area what do you do then? It depends on what you are looking for.

If you are looking for a notary to travel to you in your city there are a few notary directories such as Notary Rotary and 123 Notary or you can always Google "notary" and your zip code or city. If you are looking to avoid the travel fees of a mobile notary and you would rather walk into a location you can try your local UPS store as most of them have notaries on staff.

Mobile notaries, such as myself, come in handy when the signer is in a hospital, convalescent home, jail, at work, or they just want the conveniece of a notary traveling to them. Mobile notaries can accomodate your schedule by setting appointments late night, weekends, and holidays.

Please contact LaShon, The Document Diva, at (562) 314-4319 if you need a mobile notary in Long Beach, Lakewood, Carson, Wilmington, Bellflower, or other surrouding city. My hours are 8 am - 7 pm 6 days a week.

A new year usually means new notary laws in California and 2015 was not any different. I would love to be a fly on the wall when the law makers in Sacramento decide to enact new notary laws. They come across as quite arbitrary because there is very little communication between the Secretary of State and California notaries.

This year the California legislators decided to add additional wording to all acknowledgment and jurat certificates. The new certificates must include a disclaimer in an enclosed box before the venue information of state and county. 

In order to be ready for January 1, 2015 I created my own form and printed about 50 to keep in my notary bag. I also purchased a stamp with the new wording to use when applicable.

If you are a California notary be sure to use the latest notary certificates, and if you need a document notarized make sure your notary uses the correct acknowledgment or jurat or you run the risk of your document being rejected if it is being recorded or Apostilled.

In addition to our mobile notary and apostille services The Document Diva is now adding court and county recorder document retrieval to the list of services we offer.

We currently offer document retrievel from the following California Superior Courts -  Long Beach, Bellflower, Downey, Compton, Norwalk, and Torrance. The types of documents available for retrieval are civil, criminal, family law, juvenile, and traffic. 

Fictious business name filings and document recording and retrieval are available at the Los Angeles County Recorder. Common documents recorded are Deeds, Deeds of Trust, Leases, and Notice of Default.

Please contact The Document Diva for more information and pricing

(562) 314-4319

It really is amazing how fast time passes. I was not aware that I have now been serving as a California notary for 10 years until I started receiving notifications of congratulations from LinkedIn.

I decided to become a notary after I was injured on the job and subsequently laid off. From that moment on I was determined to never work full-time for anyone else again. At that time I acquired my tax preparer's, insurance, and notary license. I never would have imagined that being a notary would become my career.

Working as a notary has allowed me to meet hundreds of people and travel thousands of miles. It is never a dull day as each day brings its own unique set of experiences. It isn't always easy because the need for a notary cannot be predicated, and competition has increased over the years but I have stuck it out. I enjoy working with clients who value my services and like the convenience of a traveling notary so I look forward to continue my work as a mobile notary.

If you require the services of a traveling notary in Long Beach, Lakewood, Wilmington, Carson, or any other surrounding area please contact The Document Diva @ (562) 314-4319.

The Lynwood Jail (Central Regional Detention Center) is a womens only jail in Los Angeles County located in Lynwood, CA with the capacity to hold 2,100 women.

Documents frequently notarized at the Lynwood Jail include powers of attorney, parental permission to travel forms, and child custody documents. A notary is a legal professional so we are allowed to perform notarizations 7 days a week during the jails operating hours.

Please contact LaShon James-Major, The Document Diva, for more information about performing a notary at the Central Regional Detention Center (Lynwood Jail) @ 562-314-4319.