Taking the Vows in Jail

We all nurture secret plans for saying the two magical words, “I do”; sometimes even before we fall in love or meet our partners.

When the time comes, we do everything to breathe life into your dreams. Weddings are characterized by dance, music, lip smacking food, wine, enticing decor and beautifully done clothes and makeup.  Conversely, there are weddings without décor, DJ and music. In fact, the bridal gown and veil are also absent. Surprising, but true!

Jail Marriages 

Well; it is the jail marriage; the wedding of a prison inmate with his or her loved one outside. Since it’s different and unique, the arrangements are also different. Flowers, music, event managers and decorators are missing. The good thing is that prison inmates can get married, although the couple may not spend time together before the prisoner’s release.

The regulations of a jail marriage vary from prison to prison. Commonly; a marriage packet request must be obtained to marry the prisoner. The application for a marriage license must be duly filled by the couple. The notary must be present to authenticate the signature of the inmate on the marriage paperwork. The marriage license is obtained on submission of the form. A photocopy of the license is then mailed to the Inmate Marriage Coordinator. The package is sent to the appropriate authority for approval. On obtaining the approval, the coordinator calls the applicant to schedule the ceremony.

The ceremony is similar to a regular jail visit. The couple is separated by a glass. They are not allowed to hug or kiss or hold each other’s hand. What’s more, the dress code cannot change. The wedding is conducted in the inmate’s regular clothes. The original papers are brought by the spouse. The ceremony is conducted in the presence of a witness, brought along by the applicant. Filming and pictures are strictly prohibited.

AA document services boast of an experience of countless years in conducting inmate marriages and providing services at every step.

For further details, contact them at www.aadocumentservices.com

How to Marry Someone Who is in Jail?

In most cases, marrying someone in prison is discouraged. Statistics say that prison marriages fail at an even higher rate than other marriages. That being said, there are reasons why people get married to prisoners, including facilitating the care and adoption of children. And there are legal procedures of mobile marriages in Los Angeles, including jail marriages.

Let’s be talking about the legal steps taken and things to consider while opting for a mobile marriage.

How to marry a prisoner?

• Regulations for marrying a prisoner vary from prison to prison. However, most institutions require a Marriage Packet Request to get permission to marry the prisoner. To accomplish this, simply have your fiancé make an inmate request for a marriage packet.
• Once the forms are completed by both of you, you'll need to send it back to the prison facility with the requested fees. This runs between $150 and $175 on average and usually needs to be sent through a money order or cheque or draft.
• There are also mandatory documents you'll need to have in order to prove that you are of legal age to marry and that you are a citizen in the country you wish to marry.
• Some institutions will also require that you provide a copy of your birth certificate or other identity proofs.

Go for counseling and marriage reviews

• Most often, marrying someone in prison is discouraged. Therefore, it's recommended to talk with others who have married prisoners, so that you have an understanding of how difficult the role may be for you long-term.
• This will also help you realize that, upon your spouse's release from prison, the two of you will each have to make major life-changing adjustments.
• Unfortunately, there is an alarming divorce rate. It also means that getting married to a prisoner involves jumping through a lot of legal hoops and possibly experiencing moments of heartache.

How to plan the wedding?

• To put together the wedding, you'll need to work with a Family Visiting Coordinator. This will be your contact for arranging the wedding once permission has been received to marry the prisoner.
• Then, you'll choose an officiant. Your prison will most likely give you a list of approved pastors to choose from. Be prepared for their fees and how to pay them at the ceremony, which is most traditionally with a money order.
• You'll also need a witness for the wedding. Simply bring a guest who is on your fiance's approved visitor list.
• Alternatively, you can use one of the inmates who work in the visiting area.
• Finally, you'll need a marriage certificate which will also require a fee. Depending on the prison facility's regulations, you may be allowed time together after the ceremony for wedding pictures accompanied by a short and private visit together, though most of the prisons don’t allow the same.

Get a license

• Every state requires potential spouses to obtain a marriage license prior to becoming legally married. This requirement is not waived because one potential spouse is in prison.
• Contact the warden or other appropriate official of the prison in which the inmate is housed to learn the process for obtaining this license. Often, the non-incarcerated potential spouse will be tasked with this.

Prison’s guidelines must be followed

 Prison officials will likely be standing by during your ceremony to ensure that no rules are broken, but it is best to talk to the officials to know what is and is not allowed. Following these guidelines, and the abovementioned ones, mobile marriages in Los Angeles are pursued.

All Your Queries Answered About Live Scan

Livescan is an industry term that typically references a standard in scanning and storing fingerprints digitally. It references specific scanners and collection requirements that enable the rapid electronic capture of an individual’s fingerprint allowing agencies and others to store and compare these fingerprints. Live Scan fingerprinting services feature different types of hardware and software designed to make fingerprint acquisition and identification secure and effortless.

Uses of Live Scan Fingerprinting:

Live Scan can be used for several reasons, including:

• Authenticating a person’s identity for access to sensitive areas or information.
• Capturing the fingerprints of travelers, migrants and refugees as they cross borders.
• Recording the fingerprints of a police suspect.
• Carrying out criminal history background checks on a job applicant or for special clearances.
• Enrollment applications where assured identity is paramount.
• Regulated industry compliance, such as real estate licensees, DMV licensed professionals, notaries, foster parents, teachers, appraisers, caregivers, stock brokers, contractors, nurses, doctors, surgeons, security guards, volunteers and lawyers.

How does Live Scan fingerprinting work?

The process of Live Scan fingerprinting is simple and fast. Someone trained in using a livescan device works with the individual whose fingerprints are being scanned. They place their fingers onto the livescan fingerprinting hardware and the scanner automatically captures image of the fingerprints. These images are processed by the livescan software, creating a record that can be stored, compared or transmitted for a variety of identification or verification purposes.

Types of organizations that use Live Scan fingerprinting technology

The technology is used by a variety of businesses and agencies including:

• National security
• Law enforcement
• Citizen services
• Migrant assistance
• Refugee management
• Military installations
• Government and state bodies
• Regulated commercial businesses

Advantages of livescan fingerprinting over traditional ink and paper method:

• No mess as no ink is needed
• Far less chance for human error
• Reduces mechanical error
• Image quality is automatically checked and finger sequencing performed, reducing reject
• Quicker for capturing fingerprints
• Enables efficient “lights-out”, fully automated fingerprint matching

Documents required for LiveScan fingerprinting

• 3 copies of your request for Live Scan form, fully filled out. In nearly all cases, the agency requiring your Live Scan MUST provide the form and its ORI (Originating Agency Identification) number
• Valid driving license
• Valid credit card or cash

If you are looking for an agency that provides reliable livescan fingerprinting services, contact AA Document Services on www.aadocumentservices.com or at 1-725-333-2335 for details.

How to Apostille your Documents in LA

California Secretary of State has two offices that provide authentication of public official signatures on documents to be used outside the country. The process of Apostille in Los Angeles is a must to learn and know before you opt for one. The Secretary of State authenticates signatures only on documents issued in Los Angeles signed by a notary public or one of the following public officials or their deputies:

• County Clerks or Recorders
• Court Administrators of the Superior Court
• Executive Clerks of the Superior Court
• Officers whose authority is not limited to any particular county
• Executive Officers of the Superior Court
• Judges of the Superior Court
• State Officials

The process of Apostille in Los Angeles depends on the type of document and specific requirements of the destination country. Here are the three categories of documents broadly outlined, and their respective procedures required for authentication:

• General documents are the documents or certificates which are not issued by a Federal, State or Local govt. entity. This is the largest catch-all category. The Embassy legalization process for this type of documents includes processing the documents with a local notary, certification by the appropriate Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State Authentications Division in Washington, D.C., and the Embassy of the destination country.

• Government documents are any documents or certificates issued by a Federal, State or Local govt. entity. The Embassy legalization process for this kind of documents includes processing your documents with the US Department of State Authentications Division in Washington, D.C and the Embassy of the destination country. For personal documents like birth, marriage, death and divorce certificates, it is must to legalize your documents with the Secretary of State in the region your document was issued.

• Commercial or Shipping Documents are the documents used for shipping products out. The legalization/authentication process for Commercial or Shipping Documents vary widely based on the destination country. The main reason for this is because some Apostille/Hague Convention countries require that you follow a separate legalization process with your shipping/documents. On the other hand, for many countries, the legalization of documents is not required.

AA Document Services specializes in handling both the Embassy Legalization as well as Apostille in Los Angeles with efficiency and speed. Contact them on www.aadocumentservices.com or at 725-333-2335 for details.

How is Apostille Certification Different From other Document Legalization?

There are similar terms as – Apostille, Authentication and Legalization. These are not the same, though similar. Before you head off to find an apostille in Los Angeles, learn about the basic difference between these to make your search refined.

What is an Apostille?

The Apostille Treaty is an international treaty that specifies the process through which a document issued in one of the signatory countries can be certified for legal purposes in all the other signatory countries. An apostille is often attached to the document by an appropriate government official after it is notarized.

Is Apostille the same as authentication or legalization?

No – in one word. Apostille is not the same as authentication or legalization. And the difference is simple. Find below the main points of both that clarify the difference:

Apostille:

• An Apostille is a form of authentication issued for documents that will be used in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961.
• Apostilles authenticate only those documents that are to be used in another country.
• It can be in the form of a stamp on a document or might be attached to the document as an allonge very firmly so that it never gets detached.

Authentication:

• It’s a process of verifying whether the documents are original or fake.
• As the process varies in different countries, there are various documents required to be submitted.

Legalization:

• Legalization shows that the document was issued by a competent and expert authority.
• It approves the signature, seal or stamp as a mark of authenticity.
• Legalization validates the document’s format as correct.

What types of documents require an apostille?

A company may need an apostille stamp on their articles of incorporation, a power of attorney or bylaws. There may be requirements of apostilles on academic transcripts, diplomas and assignments or on birth, marriage and death certificates.

About an Apostille Stamp – the provider, the process and the process

• Each state has authorized Office of the Secretary of State who is empowered to place the stamp on documents for use in foreign countries. You will find the information on the process on the website of the secretary of state, which normally varies somewhat from one state to the next.
• The applicants are supposed to fill out a form explaining the document that needs to be authenticated, how it will be used and where it will be used.
• The applicant sends the form and the original document that needs the stamp and the fee to the secretary of state for processing.
• The document is sent back to the applicant after few days duly signed and sealed with apostille stamp.

Complications and restrictions of Apostille

• Documents that are not signed by a recognized government official may need to be notarized before receiving the apostille stamp. The document must be signed in the presence of a notary who attests the authenticity of the signature.
• The secretary of state’s office authenticates the signature of the notary as a recognized official and in case of any doubt about the need of notarization, it is better to get it clarified from the secretary of state’s office before mailing the request.

These abovementioned points are important and must be kept in mind while looking for apostille in Los Angeles.

Are you Ready to Create a Living Trust? Make Your Checklist

If you are here on this page, there is a chance that you are planning to create a living trust. Living trust forms are used to prepare the estate and the trust then owns and manages the property held by the trust through a trustee for the benefit of the named beneficiary.

Are you ready to create a living trust? Have the following checklist handy:

1. List your assets that you will include in the trust

Make a list of all your assets and include only those that would normally pass through probate in order to take full advantage of the benefits of having a living trust.

1. Gather the paperwork

All of the titles and deeds of the property, stock certificates and life insurance policies may be required to transfer the property into the trust. Collect the papers and have them ready to make the process smooth and quick.

1. Sole grantor or shared trust

You can only put property you own into the trust. So, if you are married or into a domestic partnership, it means much of your property is owned jointly. So, either a shared trust or two individual trusts are the options.

1. Choose beneficiaries

Family members, friends, charities and other organizations that would receive the trust property after your death are called beneficiaries.

1. Choose a successor trustee

A successor trustee is the person who will be in charge of paying debts and distributing your assets according to your wishes upon your death.

1. Trust document creation

Each state has legal statuses that guide how the trust document should be written, hence help should be taken from legal professionals.

1. Sign and notarize

Once the document is prepared, it must be executed according to the state law and notarization of the document is required in most of the cases to attest to the validity of your signature after your death.

1. Fund the trust

A living trust is validated only after the grantor “funds” the trust by transferring assets into it by some specific process that depends on the type of property involved.

Living trust forms are complicated and hence legal help should be taken. AA Document Services offers legal help regarding notary services as per client’s convenience and requirements. Contact them on www.aadocumentservices.com or call on 725-333-2335 for more details.

Live Scan Fingerprinting – How to Apply for it

Live Scan is an inkless, electronic means of capturing fingerprints in a digitized format and then transmitting them to the concerned departments. Previously, fingerprints were taken by applying ink to each finger, then rolling each finger on a fingerprint card. This method was inherently messy and prone to capturing poor image quality. By processing via Live Scan fingerprinting, criminal history responses can be provided within a matter of hours if received electronically or 3 -5 days if received by mail.

Live Scan provides the fingerprint technician with the opportunity to retake a print several times to ensure they are capturing the best image quality possible.

Popularity of Live Scan fingerprinting:

Fingerprinting has tremendously developed over the years due to the technological advances made by the forensic science. Live Scan has made its way into the public’s vernacular and onto the main stage of personal identification methodology.

How is it processed?

Live scan fingerprinting is inkless and it captures the fingerprint digitally on a computer. The prints are then forwarded electronically to the FBI, Department of Justice or another authorized agency for a criminal background check or for other purposes.

Advantages of Live Scan fingerprinting:

• There is no mess, no smudging and no fading as with the case of black printer's ink.
• There is no chance for human and/or mechanical error as there is with the ink fingerprint method. With the traditional method of fingerprinting, human error could factor into the administration of the procedure from the rolling of the subject's fingers to the amount of ink in the inkpad. Mistakes could also occur on the fingerprint card so that the subject is misidentified.
• The processing time is pretty fast in comparison to traditional way of fingerprinting which may extend for as long as two months.

Checklist for Live Scan request:

Keep the checklist handy to get in and out of your digital fingerprinting appointment fast with accurate results:

• A valid, government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, passport, military ID, green card)
• The address where results need to be sent
• A form of payment:

• If you're paying for yourself, please bring along one of the following payment options: cash, personal or company checks (made payable to NBCI), or credit cards (Visa, Mastercard or American Express).
• If your company is paying for you, please provide the payment receipt (if they paid ahead) or Direct Bill Registration Form showing which company we need to bill.

• Knowledge of what background checks your employer is requesting. Along with those items you will need to know if you need a BCI (this is the state check), FBI (this is the national check) or both.
• Knowledge of the reason/purpose for the requested background checks. There are several reasons why individuals may need to have a background check done...

• Getting a license or permitfor financial institutions, liquor sales, security, automotive sales, insurance sales, nursing, real estate appraisal, fireworks, lottery sales, etc.
• Working with or near childrenrelated to education, teaching, adoption, foster parenting, childcare, school transportation, etc.
• Working with or near the elderly at nursing homes, healthcare, transportation, etc.

These are the basic guidelines to apply for a Live Scan fingerprinting. Having these items and information readily available will help make your digital fingerprinting appointment go smoothly and will ensure that your results go to the proper location.