Confirm whether or not a witness is neededAsk about witnesses, and let the client know that some documents require additional witnesses. You must confirm whether a witness is required before the appointment. You do not want to show up for an appointment only to find out that a witness is required and your client does not have one. In some states, the Notary can serve as a witness, but it all depends on the document and your state’s notary laws. Alabama law does not explicitly prohibit a notary from serving as both a notary and witness, but best practices, and Notary Know How, strongly discourage it. In general, it is best to decline, even if state law permits it, because it is easy to blur the lines between acting as a Notary and serving as a document witness, which can lead to a potential conflict of interest. A "document witness" is an individual who watches another individual sign a document. A notary who also witnesses the document runs the risk of a conflict of interest.
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