I am the Respondent in this case. An acknowledgment is one of the most common types of notarial acts, but it often confuses Notaries.Here are 5 steps to performing an acknowledgment. 4. Signatures of heirs who acknowledge service must be sworn to before a notary public or the Clerk of any Probate Court of this State. I'm going to take a minute here and we're going to cover how to properly do an all-purpose acknowledgement for the state of California. Under Georgia law, an acknowledgment or determination of paternity establishes the biological condition of being a father.