Notary Public and Commissioner:

Question:Do I need notarization or a commissioner for an affidavit in Ontario, and can a paralegal help me complete it legally?

Answer:If your form is asking for notarization, Stephen Parker Legal Services can lawfully notarize signatures, copies, and identity-related documents, and if it instead requires commissioning for an affidavit or statutory declaration, they can have a commissioner administer the oath or solemn affirmation and witness the swearing correctly for your specific use.  Call (416) 571-2723 to confirm what your document needs before you sign, and avoid unlawful “online notary” services in Ontario; for reference, Ontario permits in-person notarization, and section 3(3) of Notaries Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. N.6, applies only when a supporting regulation allows it, so verify your document requirements with Stephen Parker Legal Services.

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Stephen Parker Legal Services provides Notary Public and Commissioning services.  Your documents will be lawfully notarized or commissioned with proper attention given to details as required for the specific nature and purpose of the respective documents.  This service is competitively priced, so you can trust that you are getting value for your money.

Note: Please contact Stephen Parker Legal Services by phone at: (416) 571-2723 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.

Notary Public

A person granted Notary Public status is granted special powers by various governing authorities within a local jurisdiction that permits the person to verifying that signatures, marks, stamps, copies of documents, among other things, are true and authentic.

There are many official signed documents that must be notarized to become valid.  Examples include copies of certificates of birth, adoption, marriage, or divorce, as well as real estate transactions documents, government documents, and many more.  Notarizing a document is an organized and efficient service that typically requires only five (5) to ten (10) minutes per document.

Warning Regarding Purported Online Notary Services

In Ontario, there are notary services purporting to provide online notary services.  Online notary services are unlawful; and, recently the Law Society of Ontario issued a Notice to the Professions, meaning to lawyers and paralegals, as a reminder that online notary services are forbidden.  The perception that online notary services are permitted may arise whereas section 3(3) of the Notaries Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.  N.6, states that notarization may be performed without in person requirements when permitted by a regulation to the Notaries Act; however, a review of the regulations will reveal that a permitting regulation is absent; and accordingly, online notary services are unlawful.

Commissioner for Taking Affidavits

Instead of notarizing a document as a true copy or as containing a true signature or marks, among other notary functions, many documents instead require commissioning.  A Commissioner for Taking Affidavits is empowered to administer an Oath and to witness the swearing or affirming of the Oaths of truth regarding statements made within an Affidavit or Declaration.  Of course, such is without saying that the Commissioner for Taking Affidavits confirms that what is stated within the document is true whereas the Commissioner for Taking Affidavits merely witnesses and confirms that the Deponent, being the person who swears or affirms the Oath, states that the contents of the document are true.

Pricing

Pricing for notarizing and commissioning services may vary subject to the nature of the particular requirements of the documents involved, the particular circumstances involved, and the expected time involved.