Every week we handle cases that show why online notary services are not just a convenient alternative but the only viable option for many people. This week we had four that illustrate the point well.
Bank policy signing between Madrid and Palma de Mallorca
A client needed to sign a bank policy. There were two signatories: one in Madrid and the other in Palma de Mallorca. The one in Madrid had already signed without any issues, but the one in Palma de Mallorca could not find any notary on the island able to handle the signing of that policy in time.
He contacted us. Within thirty minutes his policy was signed.
This scenario is more common than it seems. When there are several signatories in different cities, coordinating signatures in person creates delays. If one of them cannot find a notary available at short notice, the procedure is blocked for everyone. Remote signing eliminates that bottleneck: each signatory acts from wherever they are, without depending on a specific physical notary's schedule.
The client left us a five-star review on Google that same day.
Power of attorney signed from a hospital trolley
On Friday we received an urgent request. A man needed to sign a power of attorney, but he was about to go into surgery. Literally: he had his laptop on the trolley, waiting to be taken to the operating theatre.
We made the video call five minutes before hospital staff took his computer away. The power of attorney was signed.
This is not an exceptional case. People who are hospitalised, have reduced mobility or face unexpected medical situations need to resolve legal matters without being able to travel. A power of attorney may be needed for a relative to manage bank accounts, administrative procedures or property decisions while the grantor recovers. Signing by video call allows this without leaving the hospital room.
What changes is the response time. At a physical notary's office you need to book an appointment, travel and coordinate schedules. When someone is about to go into surgery, there is no margin for that.
Power of attorney from Dublin on Saint Patrick's Day
A couple living in Dublin needed two things: to obtain their NIE in Spain and to give power of attorney to their lawyer to buy a property in Barcelona. They contacted us and signed the power of attorney with a notary on Saint Patrick's Day itself, from their mobile phone.
We will receive the power of attorney in a couple of days. From there, their lawyer can act on their behalf for the property purchase, and we handle the NIE application, which is also a service we provide.
For foreigners who want to buy a property in Spain, the chain of procedures is usually this:
- Obtain the NIE (Foreigner Identity Number), mandatory for any tax or property transaction in Spain
- Grant power of attorney to a lawyer or legal representative in Spain to handle the purchase
- The lawyer signs the title deed before a Spanish notary on behalf of the buyer
All of this can be done without setting foot in Spain. The NIE is applied for electronically and the power of attorney is signed by video call. The title deed is signed in person by the attorney-in-fact.
Three property transactions from a divorce
On Tuesday we have three operations scheduled, all linked to the same case. A married couple going through a divorce is selling their shared home, and immediately afterwards each of them is buying a separate property.
We represent the couple in the sale and coordinate all three deeds. At a conventional notary's office, this would require both spouses to attend at least one appointment in person (the sale), plus each one separately for their purchase. If one lives in another city or has incompatible schedules, the logistics become complicated.
With remote signing, each party acts from wherever they are. All three transactions are resolved in the same week without cross-city travel.
What these four cases have in common
In none of them was the online service an aesthetic preference. It was the solution to a specific problem:
- A signatory on an island with no available notary
- A patient about to go into surgery
- A couple abroad who need to act in Spain
- A divorce with three simultaneous transactions to coordinate
Online notary services do not compete with in-person notary services. They complement them in cases where the in-person option cannot reach or cannot reach in time.
How remote signing works
Law 28/2023 regulates the signing of notarial documents by video conference in Spain. The process is straightforward:
- The client describes their case and we prepare the documentation
- We verify the signatory's identity using their official document
- A video call is held with the designated notary
- The notary formalises the document and issues the authorised copy
The result has the same legal validity as an in-person signature. It is not a lesser digital document: it is a full public deed.