Is it legal for a person to sign their spouse’s name?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Is it legal for a person to sign their spouse’s name?
I work at a bank. Today my boss accepted a signature card for a joint account; the husband signed both his and his wife’s signatures even though she wasn’t present. I called my boss out on this. She said it was perfectly legal for a someone to sign their spouse’s name with permission. She said she knows the couple well and that it is all legal. I still don’t feel this can be right. This can create a whole mess of problems; I am sure that the law couldn’t begin to cover if it is allowed.
Asked on July 25, 2012 under Family Law, Missouri
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
Under the laws of all states in this country, if one person has given permission to another person to sign his or her name (particularly in a marriage situation) such is acceptable.
However, you are correct from a business perspective, particulary with a bank that it is best to not have another person sign a name to a document that does not belong to the person who is signing the document.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.