A will says who receives your property and who will settle your affairs; a revocable living trust holds property during life and passes it without probate; a transfer on death deed or Lady Bird deed moves an El Paso house to your children outside probate. Families here sign these documents at kitchen tables in Socorro and Horizon City, in attorneys' offices downtown, and sometimes in a room at University Medical Center when a diagnosis has made the paperwork urgent. Many El Paso families also hold land in Chihuahua and want Texas documents that will be recognized on both sides of the border. QWIK Mobile Notary comes to the signing with the statutory certificates ready, in English or Spanish.
Texas Estates Code chapter 251 makes a will valid when the testator signs it before two credible witnesses who are at least 14 years old; no notary is required for validity. The notary's role is the self-proving affidavit under section 251.104, in which the testator and both witnesses swear before the notary that the will was properly signed — so the El Paso probate court can admit it later without tracking down the witnesses. A holographic (handwritten) will can be made self-proved by the testator's own affidavit. Trust instruments, trust amendments and certificates of trust are acknowledged; a transfer on death deed must be acknowledged before a notary and recorded with the El Paso County Clerk before the owner's death to have any effect.
Text or call (915) 302-0902 with the list of documents and how many people will sign; we confirm the statutory fees plus the $39 El Paso travel fee and come to your home, the attorney's office or the hospital. Everyone signing needs unexpired photo ID and your two witnesses must be there — ask when booking whether witnesses can be arranged for an additional fee. Leave the will and the affidavit unsigned until the notary arrives: the witnesses need to watch you sign, and the affidavit is sworn in the notary's presence. A will with its affidavit and a trust package usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. Our notary does not draft wills or trusts, fill in beneficiaries or say whether a document does what you intend; an El Paso estate planning attorney does that, and we recommend one.
Documents we notarize
- Last Will and Testament with self-proving affidavit
- Codicil (amendment to a will)
- Revocable Living Trust
- Certificate of Trust
- Trust Amendment or Restatement
- Pour-over Will
- Transfer on Death Deed (acknowledged and recorded with the El Paso County Clerk)
- Lady Bird Deed (enhanced life estate deed)
- Declaration of Guardian in the Event of Later Incapacity
- Beneficiary Designations that require notarization
- Tax and Estate Planning Documents requiring acknowledgment or oath
- Testator's affidavit for a holographic (handwritten) will
Estate planning documents we notarize in El Paso
Last wills and testaments with the self-proving affidavit, codicils that amend an existing will, and pour-over wills that send remaining property into a trust. Revocable living trusts, trust amendments and restatements, and the Certificate of Trust that banks and title companies request when a trustee opens an account or sells a house. Transfer on death deeds and Lady Bird deeds for El Paso real estate, which are acknowledged and then recorded with the County Clerk on Overland. Declarations of guardian in the event of later incapacity, beneficiary designations and other tax and estate planning documents your attorney or financial advisor asks to have acknowledged or sworn.
Witnesses, capacity and common mistakes
Bring two witnesses who are at least 14, not named in the will, and able to show ID — a neighbor, a coworker, a friend. The testator and both witnesses sign the affidavit in front of the notary, so nobody signs ahead of time. We do not bring witnesses unless it is arranged in advance; ask when booking whether witnesses can be arranged for an additional fee, especially for evening signings in Horizon City or the far East Side.
The signing fails when the testator cannot explain what the document does, when pages are missing or blanks are left, or when a beneficiary or the agent named in a related power of attorney tries to serve as witness. A trust does not have to be notarized to be valid under Texas law, but attorneys routinely have the settlor and trustee acknowledge it so El Paso banks and title companies accept it without question; sign every trust document in the same sitting.
What to bring
- Unexpired photo ID for the testator, the trustees and both witnesses
- The complete will or trust package from your attorney, printed, with every blank filled and no signatures yet
- Two witnesses age 14 or older who are not beneficiaries — or ask when booking whether witnesses can be arranged for an additional fee
- The attorney's signing instructions, if any (which pages are acknowledged and which are sworn)
- Payment for the statutory fees and the $39 travel fee, confirmed when you book
How a mobile appointment works
Text or call to book
Text or call (915) 302-0902 with the documents, the number of signers and witnesses, and the address. We confirm the statutory fees plus the $39 El Paso travel fee and schedule a time when your witnesses can be there — evenings and weekends included.
We come to you
Our notary checks everyone's ID, confirms the testator understands and is signing freely, watches the will and trust documents being signed, administers the oath for the self-proving affidavit to the testator and witnesses, and completes the Texas certificates and seal.
Signed, sealed, done
Keep the original will where your executor can find it and give copies as your attorney advises. Record a transfer on death deed with the El Paso County Clerk promptly — it has no effect unless recorded before the owner's death — and record a Lady Bird deed as your attorney instructs.