The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated every legal and business trend, from Zoom meetings to outdoor dining. Remote notarization is no different, and sometimes lawmakers act without much fanfare. On October 29, 2020, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed into law House Bill 2370, which permits remote notarizations of certain documents in Pennsylvania. The law takes immediate effect.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
With most of the country under stay-at-home orders and practicing social distancing, COVID-19 has become a major disruptive force for the indefinite future. One of the many business areas severely hindered by COVID-19 is contractual relationships between parties. Consenting parties to a new contract may agree that a PDF signature page sent by email suffices in these times, but what about statutory requirements that have to be satisfied? Real estate deeds and mortgages generally need to be notarized to be accepted for recording and for title companies to insure them. A will or trust agreement drawn up during the pandemic may need to be notarized as well to be given effect. Usual notary requirements include in-person, physical presence before the notary. How does that work with social distancing?
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
Duane Morris will present a webinar, “Doing Deals in the COVID-19 Era Practical Considerations for Electronic Signatures and Remote Notarization,” to be held on Friday, April 3, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Eastern time).
For more information and to register, please visit the event page.
Following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, businesses and institutions have taken sweeping preventative measures to restrict or eliminate in-person meetings and gatherings. To prevent further interpersonal spread of the virus while carrying on scheduled transactions, businesses should understand the current legal landscape governing electronic signature, electronic notarization and remote notarization laws, regulations and issues at play.
To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.
