Frequently Asked Questions

You should bring:

• All documents requiring notarization in their entirety (not just signing pages)
• Any relevant instructions from the document issuer
• 2 pieces of valid identification (at least one must be a government issued photo ID)

Notarizing a document is a process that depends on the type of document itself, and the notary’s signature is only a part of that process. The entire process must be completed with you in the presence of the Notary.

The process of certifying a true copy is generally quick. We recommend bringing your document with you to one of our drop-in notarization times.

Without a Will, there is no guarantee the administration of your estate, the distribution of your assets and personal effects, and guardianship of your minor children will follow your wishes.

The person responsible for administrating your estate could wind up be anyone who applies to the courts (or even the Public Guardian and Trustee if no one applies), and not the person you would like to be administrator.

Your assets and personal effects will be distributed pursuant to the Wills Estates and Succession Act, which may not be in accordance with your wishes.

Most importantly, the courts will be responsible for deciding who will be the guardian of your minor children, which may not be in accordance with your—or their—wishes.

All of this will result in delays in time and additional costs to the beneficiaries of your estate, as well as a great deal of uncertainty for your loved ones at an already difficult time.

You should update your will whenever there is a major change in your life, such as expansion of your family or loss of a family member named in your Will, if you have a significant increase or decrease in the value of your estate, or if you feel your Will no longer reflects your current wishes. In any event, we recommend you update your will at least every five years.

If you are unsure if your current Will accurately reflects your wishes, our Notary would be happy to assist you in reviewing your Will.

To be valid, a Will must follow specific legal formalities. An improperly prepared Will can result in decisions being made after your death that are not consistent with your wishes. To ensure your homemade Will meets the necessary legal formalities would require at least as much time and effort and preparing one for you using our approach. To simply sign a homemade document would also deprive you of the legal knowledge and advice you can benefit from in having us prepare a professional Will for you. Therefore, we do not sign homemade Wills.

Would you like us to prepare your Will? Use our online form to get started today!

Drafting the document is only one element of preparing a valid Power of Attorney; there is a process also involved. A professionally prepared document is generally more broadly accepted than a homemade one. To simply sign a homemade document would deprive you of the legal knowledge and advice you can benefit from in having us prepare a professional Power of Attorney for you. For these reasons we do not sign homemade Powers of Attorney.

Anyone signing documents in front of the Notary must bring 2 pieces of valid identification (at least one of which must be government issued photo ID, such as a current drivers’ licence, passport, or BC ID). The second can be a bank card issued by a major bank, credit card issued by a major institution, social insurance card, or birth certificate.

In addition to legal, regulatory, and professional requirements, it’s in your best interest! In short, to protect your interests—be it in a real estate transaction, preparing your Will, or notarizing an important document, we need to be sure we’re dealing with the real you!