How to safely sign papers

[crayiii]

This may sound dumb or paronoid but I can't help it...

I am signing final orders in front of a notary for disso, CS, and parenting plan then mailing them to my wife's attorney for his signature and then he's going to file them.

After going back and forth on the hold harmless provision, I have completely removed it.

I only sign the last page of these documents.  What's to keep the attorney (aside for ethics, etc.) from simply attaching the signature page to whatever he wants and filing it with the court?  He could change anything he wants in the order and it would just be his word against mine on whether or not it was that way when I signed.

Paranoid, I know, I've just learned to hope for the best but expect the worst with this case...

[gidgetgirl]

for stipulations that we put for to the court.

[socrateaser]

>This may sound dumb or paronoid but I can't help it...
>
>I am signing final orders in front of a notary for disso, CS,
>and parenting plan then mailing them to my wife's attorney for
>his signature and then he's going to file them.
>
>After going back and forth on the hold harmless provision, I
>have completely removed it.
>
>I only sign the last page of these documents.  What's to keep
>the attorney (aside for ethics, etc.) from simply attaching
>the signature page to whatever he wants and filing it with the
>court?  He could change anything he wants in the order and it
>would just be his word against mine on whether or not it was
>that way when I signed.
>
>Paranoid, I know, I've just learned to hope for the best but
>expect the worst with this case...

You may initial each page at the bottom in the margin, if you feel the need.

[jilly]

Or make copies of everything for your records after you're signature has been notarized.  Just make sure that the notary seal is legible when you make the copies.  Seems to me that would be proof of what you signed and returned for filing.

[socrateaser]

>Or make copies of everything for your records after you're
>signature has been notarized.  Just make sure that the notary
>seal is legible when you make the copies.  Seems to me that
>would be proof of what you signed and returned for filing.

It's not, because someone could still argue that a page other than the signature page had been modified/replaced. There is an easy test that can be used to determine whether a stack of stapled pages has been modified, however, I won't mention what it is, because by telling the public, the test will lose its usefulness as a last resort in court.

[crayiii]

Hmm, I'm starting to think something is fishy.  I told him that I would bring the papers to his office and we could sign them together and he said he wasn't planning on signing until after my bankruptcy is over.

[socrateaser]

>Hmm, I'm starting to think something is fishy.  I told him
>that I would bring the papers to his office and we could sign
>them together and he said he wasn't planning on signing until
>after my bankruptcy is over.

I think he's probably not sure what the ramifications of the BK may be, and he doesn't want to spend the time to become competent on the issue, so the easiest thing for him to do is wait.

This may annoy his client, but he will probably tell her some story about how it's in her interest to wait (when, in reality it's more in her attorney's interest).

I'm a bit cynical tonight, but actually stalling is a fairly risk free strategy, and it takes away your leverage.