Why to notarize documents?

To deter fraud. Having a notary serve as an third-party witness ensures that the signers of a document are who they say they are and that they signed the document under their own free will. The most common notarization is an acknowledgement - it's a person’s sworn statement that he or she signed a paper by his or her own free will. To do this, a notary must verify the signer’s identity, apply his or her seal to the document, and then sign it.