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.