Does a civil union need to be notarized?
Yes, in South Carolina, a civil union must be notarized in order to be valid. A civil union is a legally recognized, contractual relationship between two individuals of the same gender or opposite gender living together in a domestic partnership. The civil union grants the couple certain legal rights and privileges similar to those granted to married couples, such as pension and inheritance rights. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control requires that the legal documents pertaining to a civil union be notarized before it is considered legally binding. This includes the Civil Union Contract, as well as any other documents that are associated with the union, such as the dissolution paperwork. A notary public is a public officer who is authorized to witness signatures, administer oaths, and acknowledge certain documents, such as a civil union contract. The notarized documents must be submitted to the Department of Health and Environmental Control for approval. Once the civil union is approved by the state, the civil union is considered legal. It is important for couples to ensure that their civil union is notarized in order to be granted the rights and privileges associated with it. Without having the documents notarized, the civil union would not be legally binding and any rights the couple would have been granted would not be recognized.
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