A notary public is a person who is permitted to witness the signing of legal papers such as deeds, estates, licenses, power of attorney, affidavits, and trusts. A notary is a government-appointed person entrusted with certifying the legitimacy of documents and acting as an unbiased witness when signing legal documents. Notarizing legal papers ensures that transactions are completed correctly and helps to prevent fraud. Notaries are obligated to identify signatories to a document when certifying its authenticity in order to filter out impostors and guarantee that parties enter a contract willfully.