By Erika Katherine Johnson, MPH, Ph.D., and Prudence Fink Johnson, JD, LLM
This article discusses (a) practical solutions, based on current laws, for contactless or electronic signing of legal documents in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and (b) procedures for witnessing and notarizing legal documents remotely before a COVID-19 vaccine is in place and during future disease outbreaks. The authors recommend a specific legally viable solution that does not require lobbying state legislatures for the enactment of remote online notarization (RON) and other virtual solutions. These solutions may be referenced and used as a framework for future legislation — to promote RON as a standard practice, not a practice used only during emergencies.
