Which of the following best describes a notary's duties?

A notary's primary duty is to authenticate signatures and documents. This role involves verifying the identity of individuals signing a document, ensuring that they are doing so willingly and understand the implications of their actions. Notaries are responsible for preventing fraud by confirming identities through valid forms of identification and witnessing signatures in person.

This function is fundamental to maintaining the integrity of documents and ensuring that they can be legally recognized. By authenticating signatures, notaries help protect the signers and any third parties who rely on the accuracy and legitimacy of the documents. This duty is crucial in many legal transactions, such as real estate agreements, powers of attorney, and various contracts where official documentation is required.

While providing legal counsel, handling financial transactions, or preparing legal documents are significant aspects of the legal profession and may overlap in some scenarios, they fall outside the official duties of a notary. Notaries do not give legal advice or draft documents, nor do they conduct financial transactions; their role is specifically centered on the verification process to uphold the law and support the execution of documents.