Tips for sending your client to the Notary office

Your clients have to sign papers, but they are on the other side of the country? No problem!

Red Seal Notary Inc. can be an invaluable tool you can use to serve your clients.  In this day and age, people are always on the go.  Getting everyone in one place at one time can seem an impossible task.  Fortunately, there is usually no need to.  Whether you are a foreign firm with clients in Canada or a Canadian firm with clients out of town, we can help you get your documents executed tout suite!

What should you do to prepare your clients for signing in front of one of our Notaries? A few simple steps can reduce the risk of something going wrong.

1) Tell your clients not to sign until the Notary tells them to. As you likely know, the most common problem is the documents being signed before going to the Notary. If you want to be sure, have an assistant place a sticky note on top of each signature line saying “Do Not Sign Yet”, or something similar. If you are sending by email, put a large bold note in the body of the email, and the first page of the attachment, telling them not to sign.

2) Tell them to take sufficient ID, and to check that none have expired. If a specific ID must be used, make sure to inform them clearly.

3) Remind them to bring the documents. Not every Notary has a functional printer – you don’t want an empty toner cartridge to delay your client.

4) If the documents require witnesses, tell them to bring their own, and what the rules are – for example, adults, not your relatives, and not involved in the transaction. There may not be witnesses available at the Notary office. Also keep in mind that if there is any need to track down a witness later, say for a missing affidavit of execution, a family friend is generally easy to find.

5) Explain the documents, and the need for them, to your client in advance. If the Notary asks your client what they are signing, you don’t want them to reply “I have no idea”.

6) Make it as easy as possible for your client. For example, if you need one of the documents in triplicate, include 3 in the file you send to them. That way they have everything. Fill out as much as possible in advance.

7) Make it easy for the Notary, too. Keep in mind the Notary may be in a different jurisdiction, and may not have any experience at all in your particular field. Call attention to anything that may easily be missed, such as signatures or initials required in the middle of a document as well as on the signature page at the end, or if the document must be completed only in black ink. If in doubt, point it out.

8) Red Seal Notary Inc. is not a law firm and is unable to provide any legal advice to your clients. If your document requires that the Notary indicates she has explained the document to your clients, please send them to a law firm instead. Or you may be able to alter the document to have your clients acknowledge that you have explained the document to them.

9) It is Red Seal Notary Inc.’s policy not to sign agreements with outside Conveyancers, Notaries, or Law Firms to act as their agents in identifying their clients. We always verify the identity of those signing before us, as is required of any Notary. We can also Notarize confirmation of identity forms, and do so on a regular basis. However, we do not agree to act as agents for a third party. Our Notaries also do not have the signing authority to bind Red Seal Notary Inc. in this way. If this might present an issue, please contact us in advance and send a copy of the document so we can determine if the Notary can do it.