Who has a direct financial interest in a transaction that would be a conflict for a Notary Public?

A Notary Public must maintain impartiality and cannot have any conflicts of interest when performing notarizations. When a person named in the document being notarized has a direct financial interest in the transaction, it creates a conflict for the Notary. This is because the Notary could be perceived as having a bias towards the interests of that individual, potentially undermining the integrity of the notarization process.

Persons named in the document often stand to benefit directly from the transaction, which means their interests could influence how the Notary conducts their duties. This direct financial interest prohibits the Notary from acting impartially, which is a fundamental requirement of their role.

Other individuals involved, such as the affiant, witness, or legal advisor, do not have the same type of direct financial interest tied to the outcome of the transaction as someone named in the document would. The affiant is typically the person affirming or swearing to the truth of the contents of the document, but their interest is usually in the affirmation itself rather than directly in the transaction. A witness observes the signing but does not have a stake in the transaction, and a legal advisor is present to provide counsel rather than participate in the transaction financially. Thus, it is essential for a Notary Public