A Notary's work is less official than a lawyer.

There is no difference in the legality or professionalism of the same services a lawyer and notary would provide.

All the Notary has to do is stamp and seal my document. It will only take a minute!

On the contrary, it is the notary’s duty to ensure the individual signing has a complete understanding of the document he/she is entering into, therefore, a notary should never sign a document without having read and fully understood the document first.

A Notary can sign a document in a foreign language.

The Notaries society has discouraged signing documents prepared in a language foreign to that which the Notary understands and is fluent.

I need to book an appointment for a deal closing next month.

While clients are encouraged to contact our office as soon as possible to ensure a smooth and efficient transaction, on most files such as purchases, sales, and refinances, until we have been fully instructed by the appropriate offices, we cannot book an appointment.

I don't need an appointment to have something notarized.

If our office is able to accommodate an unexpected notarial we will, however, it is strongly recommended that you book in advance to ensure you will be attended to promptly.

Notary can witness a separation agreement.

A separation agreement is an extremely important document. Parties entering into such an agreement should seek independent Legal Advice and sign in the presence of a family law lawyer. Notaries do not practice family law, and therefore, our office would not witness signatures of clients entering into such an agreement.

I don't need to be present for a Notary to witness my signature.

When a document requires notarization there must be proof that the person mentioned in the document was present and provided identification to prove that they are the individual in question. Therefore, you must sign in the presence of the Notary.

I've prepared a will and now I need it notarized.

Wills do not need to be “notarized”, they can be witnessed by two adult parties who are of legal age (in B. C. 19 years) and who are not named or related to individuals named in the will. Our office will only witness wills that have been prepared by our office.

Once I sign documents with my broker, the mortgageis done.

No, even after the broker has signed up the clients, the bank still has to instruct our office. We prepare all bank documents to meet their requirements for funding the mortgage.

I don't have a mortgage on my property, I have a line of credit.

Your line of credit is secured by a mortgage registered over the property and therefore, you have a mortgage.