Hospital & care facility notary

When someone is seriously ill, the paperwork does not wait. A power of attorney that needs to be in place before surgery, an advance health care directive, a will, a deed that has to be signed before a sale completes – these turn up at short notice and at difficult moments. We do bedside notarizations across San Diego County, at any hour, and we try to make the visit as brief and undramatic as we can.

Where we come

Hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centres, hospices, assisted living and memory care, and private homes with hospice care in place. That includes the major hospital systems across the county – from the medical campuses around UTC and La Jolla to Grossmont, Escondido, Oceanside, Chula Vista and downtown.

Documents we are usually called for

• Durable power of attorney for finances
• Advance health care directive and medical power of attorney
• Wills, trusts and trust amendments
• Deeds and property transfers
• Beneficiary designations and insurance forms
• Guardianship and conservatorship paperwork
• Loan or sale documents where a party is hospitalised

What has to be true for us to notarize

This is the part families most need to hear clearly, because it decides whether the visit works. California requires that the signer:

• Is conscious and aware of what they are signing. Not necessarily well, not necessarily strong, but aware.
• Can communicate their intent directly to the notary – speech, a clear nod, writing, or a consistent signal. We cannot take a family member's word for what the patient wants.
• Is acting willingly, without anyone in the room pressing them.
• Has valid photo ID, or two credible witnesses who know them and have their own ID. Hospital wristbands are not ID. If the ID is at home, send someone for it before we arrive.

A signer who is unconscious, heavily sedated, or unable to indicate understanding cannot legally be notarized for, by us or by anyone. We will tell you straight away rather than go through the motions. If a patient is lucid at some times of day and not others, tell us and we will come in their good window.

Practical notes for families

• Ask the facility first. Most hospitals are fine with an outside notary, but some wards have visiting restrictions or want the social work team notified. A quick call saves a wasted trip.
• Witnesses are usually your job. Hospital staff are often not permitted to witness, so bring two adults who are not named in the document and not related by blood or marriage to the signer.
• Have the full document. We need the complete document, not just a signature page.
• Call as early as you can. Same-day and night visits are normal for us, but earlier always goes smoother.

Price is the standard mobile rate – $95 for the visit, including travel and up to three signatures. No surcharge for a hospital, and none for an unsociable hour.