Notarized by Cristy

Notarized by Cristy As a Louisiana Notary Public, this page focuses on my services and on providing Notary Exam prep tips

09/01/2026

⚜️ DID YOU KNOW? — A Louisiana mandate does not always have to be in writing.

When we hear power of attorney, it’s easy to picture a formal written document signed in front of a notary.

But Louisiana law starts with a broader rule.

Louisiana Civil Code Article 2993 provides that a contract of mandate is not required to be in any particular form.

There is an important exception, though:

📌 When the law requires a certain form for the act being authorized, the mandate authorizing that act must be in that form too.

In other words, when studying a mandate, don’t just ask:

“Is there a mandate?”

Also ask:

“What is the mandatary being authorized to do—and what form does the law require for that act?”

That second question can make all the difference. 👀

Let’s test this rule: Can you think of an example of an act where the mandate would need to be in a particular form because of what the mandatary is being authorized to do?

What about an example where no particular form would be required?

Drop your examples in the comments. 👇
📚 Ref: Louisiana Civil Code Art. 2993

08/27/2026

⚜️ POP QUIZ — Read Every Fact Carefully

Marie gives Daniel a written general power of attorney authorizing him to handle her financial affairs and “do whatever is appropriate under the circumstances.”

While Marie is overseas, she decides she wants to sell a piece of immovable property she owns in Louisiana. She tells Daniel to handle the transaction for her.

The power of attorney does not expressly give Daniel authority to alienate, sell, or otherwise transfer property.

Daniel appears at the closing intending to sign the act of sale on Marie’s behalf.

Based on these facts, does Daniel have authority under the mandate to execute the sale for Marie?

A. Yes, because the mandate gives him general authority to handle her financial affairs
B. Yes, because Marie verbally told him to complete the sale
C. No, because authority to alienate a thing must be expressly granted
D. No, because a mandate must identify the specific immovable property and its municipal address

👇 What’s your answer—and what fact in the scenario controls it?

Don’t just pick a letter. Tell me why.

08/21/2026

⚜️ If I disappear for a little while… I promise I didn’t abandon y’all. 😂

Every now and then, you may notice that I’m posting constantly… and then suddenly I get quiet.

There’s usually a very simple explanation: life got busy.

Notarized by Cristy is something I genuinely enjoy creating, but it’s not my full-time job. I have a career outside of this page, and sometimes work gets demanding. Then there’s regular life—family, responsibilities, projects, errands, and all the things that somehow manage to pile up at the same time.

So yes, there will probably be times when I disappear for a few days—or even a little longer. It’s nothing personal, and it definitely doesn’t mean I’m finished.

I’ll just be somewhere handling real life. 😅

And when things settle down, I’ll pop right back up with another question, video, study tip, or some new idea I decided to build at 10:00 at night. 😂

I’ve been creating content for the Louisiana notary community for several years now, and I’m still here. I just want this page to fit into my life in a way that allows me to keep enjoying it rather than feeling like I have to be online every single day.

So if it ever gets quiet around here, don’t count me out. I’ll be back. ⚜️💙

— Cristy
Notarized by Cristy

08/20/2026

What actually makes an act “authentic” in Louisiana? ⚜️

It’s a term you’ll encounter repeatedly while studying Louisiana notarial law—but it has specific requirements.

Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 1833, an authentic act is a writing executed before a notary public or other authorized officer, in the presence of two witnesses, with the required parties, witnesses, and notary signing the act.

And here’s an important distinction: simply having something notarized does not necessarily make the document an authentic act.

📖 Primary authority:
Louisiana Civil Code Arts. 1833

⚜️ DID YOU KNOW?Getting married in Louisiana does not automatically turn property you already owned into community prope...
08/19/2026

⚜️ DID YOU KNOW?

Getting married in Louisiana does not automatically turn property you already owned into community property.

If a spouse acquired property before the establishment of the community property regime, Louisiana Civil Code Article 2341 classifies that property as separate property.

But here’s where studying matrimonial regimes gets interesting. 👀

The property itself and the fruits and revenues produced by that property may not always receive the same classification.

That’s why simply memorizing “before marriage = separate” isn’t enough. You want to understand what is being classified and which rule applies.

📚 Take a close look at the Civil Code articles in today’s graphic.

Did you already know this one—or did the fruits and revenues distinction surprise you? 👇

08/18/2026

⚜️ QUICK LOUISIANA NOTARY CHALLENGE

Marie purchased a piece of land while she was single.

Several years later, Marie marries Paul. After five years of marriage, Marie decides to sell the property.

Here’s the question:

Does the fact that Marie is now married automatically make the land community property?

A. Yes, because she is married when she sells it
B. Yes, because they’ve been married for more than one year
C. No, the land remains Marie’s separate property
D. It depends solely on whose name appears on the deed

👇 What’s your answer — and more importantly, WHY?

08/17/2026

⚜️ A quick note about accuracy, learning, and the content I share here.

Because as I’ve started becoming more active again with Notarized by Cristy, I think this is important and worth saying.

I’m a real person, and I’m an active commissioned non-attorney, Louisiana notary. I don’t claim to be infallible, and I’m not afraid to correct something when a correction is warranted.

I’ve been creating Louisiana notary study content for several years now. Over the years, my materials have been revised, updated, rebuilt, and corrected when required along the way.

And I’m completely comfortable saying that.

Louisiana notarial law is complex. There are general rules, exceptions, distinctions between different forms of acts, and laws that change over time. If I discover that something I published needs to be corrected or clarified, I will correct it. I would much rather do that than defend something simply because I created it.

That has always been my approach.

What I will also say is this:

An old screenshot of something that was corrected long ago does not necessarily represent the material that exists today.

My app has changed substantially and study materials continue to evolve. And as I revive this page, I’m putting an even greater emphasis on checking the legal authority behind the educational content I share.

I also want to be very clear about something I tell my followers:

📚 My materials are supplemental study tools.

The Louisiana Secretary of State’s official study guide, Fundamentals of Louisiana Notarial Law and Practice, is the official study guide for the examination. My goal is to help people understand difficult concepts—not replace the official source material.

And yes, I welcome corrections.

If someone believes something I currently publish is incorrect, send me the specific statement and the applicable authority. I will research it. If I’m wrong, I’ll say so and fix it.

I don’t believe credibility comes from pretending you’ve never made a mistake.

I believe it comes from acknowledging, correcting, and learning from one when it happens.

That is the standard I intend to maintain here.

Now let’s get back to learning Louisiana notarial law together. ⚜️📚

08/16/2026

⚜️ “I’m getting something notarized in Louisiana, so I need two witnesses…right?”

Not necessarily. 👀

This is another one of those Louisiana notary concepts where memorizing a shortcut can get you into trouble.

Yes—two witnesses are part of the formalities of an authentic act.

But that does NOT mean:

Louisiana Notary = Two Witnesses for Everything

The better question is:

👉 What form does THIS particular transaction require?

Let’s test it. 📚

SCENARIO:

Jordan signs a document at home on Monday.

On Tuesday, Jordan personally appears before a Louisiana notary and properly acknowledges the previously made signature.

Assume for purposes of the question that the underlying transaction does not independently require an authentic act or witnesses.

Are two witnesses required simply because a Louisiana notary is taking the acknowledgment?

A. Yes — Louisiana notarizations always require two witnesses

B. No — an acknowledgment does not automatically require the formalities of an authentic act

C. Yes — because Jordan signed outside the notary’s presence

D. No — but only if Jordan signs the document again

👇 Drop your answer AND tell me why.

Yesterday somebody gave me the answer and the reasoning behind it, and I LOVED seeing that. ❤️ Let’s keep doing these!

08/15/2026

⚜️ A notary signs it and puts a seal on it… so that makes it an authentic act, right?

Not necessarily. 👀

This is one of those Louisiana notary concepts where the details REALLY matter.

An authentic act and an acknowledged act are not the same thing—and simply having a notary’s signature on a document doesn’t automatically make that document authentic.

📜 An authentic act has specific formalities.

✍️ An acknowledgment serves a different purpose and can even involve a document that was signed before the signer appeared before the notary.

That distinction may sound small, but it can completely change the answer to an exam question—and understanding why is much more useful than simply memorizing a definition.

So here’s today’s quick knowledge check:

Someone signs a document at home on Monday. On Tuesday, they personally appear before a notary and acknowledge that the signature is theirs.

👉 Does the fact that they signed it Monday automatically prevent the notary from taking the acknowledgment?

YES or NO?

Drop your answer below. 👇

08/14/2026

⚜️ What does a Louisiana notary actually do?

If your answer is “check an ID, watch someone sign, and stamp the document” — that’s only a tiny piece of the picture.

Louisiana notaries are different.

Because of Louisiana’s civil law tradition, our notaries can have authority that goes far beyond what many people associate with a notary public.

📜 Authentic acts
🏡 Conveyances involving immovable property
📝 Mortgages and other legal instruments
✍️ Affidavits and acknowledgments
⚖️ And much more

And THAT is one reason studying to become a Louisiana notary can feel like you’re learning an entirely new language. You kind of are! 😅

You’re not simply learning where to sign, stamp, and date a document. You’re learning concepts involving property, contracts, obligations, capacity, form, recordation, and Louisiana law.

The authority is significant — and so is the responsibility that comes with it.

💬 Commissioned Louisiana notaries: What surprised you most when you were studying?

📚 Future notaries: What’s the topic that has surprised you most so far?

I’d love to see the answers. 👇

Address

Breaux Bridge, LA

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+13377815211

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