Legal Definitions - wafer seal

A wafer seal is a small, adhesive disc, typically made of paper or foil, that is affixed to a legal document to serve as a formal seal. Historically, seals were made by impressing a design into wax, but a wafer seal provides a modern, convenient, and often pre-printed alternative. Its presence on a document signifies formality, authenticity, or the official execution of the document, much like a traditional wax seal. While less common in everyday transactions today, wafer seals are still used in certain legal contexts to emphasize the solemnity or official nature of an agreement or declaration.

Here are some examples illustrating the use of a wafer seal:

• Imagine a significant real estate purchase agreement between two companies. To underscore the formal and binding nature of the multi-million dollar deal, the attorneys might affix a small, gold foil wafer seal next to the signatures of the company representatives. This seal visually reinforces that the document is not just a simple agreement but a formally executed legal instrument, indicating the parties' intent for it to be treated with the highest level of formality.

• When an individual finalizes their last will and testament, they might choose to have a small, red wafer seal placed on the document near their signature and those of the witnesses. This act serves as a traditional mark of solemnity and authenticity, indicating that the will has been properly executed and is intended to be a formal declaration of their wishes regarding their estate, thereby adding a layer of traditional legal formality.

• A corporation's board of directors passes a critical resolution authorizing a major merger. The official corporate resolution document, once signed by the board secretary, might have a pre-printed or affixed blue wafer seal bearing the company's name or logo. This seal visually confirms that the resolution is an official act of the corporation, formally adopted and recorded, lending an air of official corporate endorsement to the document.