My daughter is fluent in normal Spanish conversation and actually has a degree in it. I use her for translating if I need one. She did have to brush up and learn some of the vocabulary used. Having access to a translator can be an asset, as I had to use her a few times. Once it was over the phone for a car title. Google translate is also a good option.
abbottirene - Does your state have requirements for translators? My state does. Using a translator that doesnât have the state required certifications is not allowed in my state.
This makes me laugh only because where Iâm located (NM) about 80% of my signings have names that are Spanish, my name included! However unfortunately I do not speak Spanish! So far Iâve only had one signing where I showed up and she only spoke Spanish, she had confirmed and had been communicating with me via text, which I found out she had been using a translation app for it. I had to call and tell them I could not complete this signing as all the documents were in english and she did not know what she was signing nor could I communicate with her. They wanted me to let her use the app to translate all the documents I had to tell them no way, not going to happen they need to find someone that speaks spanish and should have been communicated to me to begin with! Yikes!
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So true. We have been the bottom of the barrel from the beginning. Whenever a document is missing it is the Notaryâs fault. I have been accused of leaving 43pages out of 120 pg pkg(no scan backs). I asked to see the documents missing, they were all the critical docs. I showed them where they fit in the 120 page sequence and suggested they reach out to the Assistant Escrow officer. Oops! there they were on her desk.
This is why after 25 yrs of this position we need regulation and organization to protect us. We need set fees and fee schedules. No one should be paid over 30 days from the closing.
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takenotenotaryservices Great Comment! Plug and Play is an excellent phrase!
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Concur! 
I find that if my signer does not reply to phone messages and texts I will have my brother call them and ask in Spanish. He is bilingual Spanish and English. This will usually let me know if the person prefers a Spanish-speaking notary. While I understand enough Spanish to follow most conversations, I do not dare risk conducting a signing completely in Spanish. I have found that many Spanish-speaking signers do know English, but they feel more comfortable signing Loan documents with a Spanish-speaking notary. Sometimes when I say I will need to find another notary for them they quickly turn to English and say, âno, no problem we can sign in English.â Not all people with Spanish last names speak Spanish. I do not conduct any signings if I cannot communicate in the preferred language of the Signers. Full stop.
Generally, my policy is that if I cannot communicate with the signers, I donât do the signing and I record the specifics in my journal. However, a few months back I did a signing for some folks that spoke only Farsi (Iranian/Persian language for those who donât know) where they used a cell phone translation program. To validate that the program would accurately translate for us, I tested it by singing the first two lines of Wilson Pickettâs 634-5789 into it and, by golly, IT WORKED! I could trust the translation, so we, moved forward, if with some difficulty. But it was a fun evening.
(Yeah, I can actually sing that song. Google it)
Yesterday I told my car to drive my dog and me to the signerâs house, which it did automatically, reading the address off my calendar. Met with the signer while my dog was kept cool and entertained in the car until I returned. Next, I told my car to drive me home which it did flawlessly. Now I have special earbuds to translate docs for me in a foreign language! In the meantime, my pay continues to drop every year,
Progress.
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