Do you need to obtain an apostille on a Power of Attorney (POA) in California?
A Power of Attorney is a legal document whereby one person, identified as the “Agent," is granted the authority to act on behalf of another person, called the “Principal." A Power of Attorney allows the Agent to sign legal documents that the Principal is not able to sign in person for one reason or another, complete financial transactions on behalf of the Principle, or make health care decisions. If you have drafted your Power of Attorney (POA) in the state of California but intend to use it in a foreign country – a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, then your Power of Attorney will require a California apostille to become legally admissible abroad.
Obtaining an Apostille on your Power of Attorney (POA) prepared in California is simple when you let Global Apostille take care of it. Before mailing your Power of Attorney to us make sure it meets the following basic requirements for a Power of Attorney in California:
1. Your Power of Attorney must be signed by the Principal.
2. Your Power of Attorney must be signed by one or more witnesses.
3. It must be signed by a California public notary or other person authorized to administer oaths. The notary is not allowed to be a witness.
4. The Principal, witnesses, and notary public must all be present when they sign a Power of Attorney.
When selecting an attorney to draft your Power of Attorney make sure the chosen attorney has experience in a country where you plan to use your POA to ensure it is prepared in compliance with the laws of that country. For instance, your Power of Attorney is going to be used in Panama, then it’s best to choose a Panama Attorney to prepare your document. Also, we recommend that a Power of Attorney intended for use in a foreign country is prepared in both languages. Therefore, a POA intended for Panama must be prepared in Spanish and English languages.
If your Power of Attorney was initially drafted in a foreign language, we recommend having it translated into English. In California, a Power of Attorney executed in a foreign language can be acceptable as long as it has been signed, notarized, and attested with a proper notarial affidavit in the English language. If you need help finding a bilingual attorney or a translator to prepare your Power of Attorney in California, please contact Global Apostille.
Obtaining an Apostille on Power of Attorney can be confusing. If you need a California Apostille, please choose our apostille services. Global Apostille has been assisting clients with document authentication for use abroad since 2004. We will save you from the complex and dreary job of getting your documents authenticated while you could focus on other things. We apostille California Power of Attorney, birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, background checks, an FBI apostille, and much more. Global Apostille is your unbeatable source for apostille service in California!
Our experts are available Monday through Friday from 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM. Please call us at 1-770-447-0360 or toll-free 866-416-0747, and we will answer all your questions and offer easy-to-follow detailed instructions.
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