Frequently Asked Questions

A notary public is an official authorized to perform acts in legal affairs, particularly real estate conveyancing, estate planning, and general notarization services, including witnessing signatures on documents, administering oaths, and certifying copies of documents as true copies.

es, we offer mobile notary services. Our notary can travel to your home, office, or any other convenient location within Burnaby and surrounding areas.

We do not offer virtual notarizations/online notaries. All our interactions are in-person to ensure the highest level of service and compliance with legal requirements.

A real estate lawyer typically handles more complex legal matters and charges by the hour. A notary can generally be more affordable, offering flat rate services for real estate conveyancing, estate planning and document notarization . Notaries are suitable for straightforward transactions and documentation, making them a cost-effective choice for many residents of Burnaby and Vancouver BC.

A notary can notarize a variety of documents, including affidavits, statutory declarations, and more. If you're in need of a notary public in Burnaby we can assist with your documentation needs.

Bring the documents you need notarized and a valid government-issued photo ID. If witnesses are required, please bring them along or let us know in advance so we can arrange for them.

A typical notary appointment takes about 15-30 minutes, depending on the number and complexity of the documents.

We accept cash, credit cards, and debit cards. Payment is due at the time of service.

Yes, we can notarize documents in English, Spanish and French. Please inform us in advance if your documents are not in English so we can make the necessary arrangements.

Yes, we can assist with real estate transactions such as property sales, purchases, and transfers.

No, notaries in BC are independent of the government and are self-regulated. We are commissioned by the court/province to provide a subset of legal services, ensuring high standards of practice and professionalism.

Yes, we can notarize documents that will be used internationally. If you need a legalization/apostille, we can guide you through the process to ensure your documents are accepted abroad.

We are conveniently located at 4481 Hastings Street, Burnaby, BC, V5C 0L6. If you are looking for a notary public in Burnaby BC, our office is easy to find and accessible for residents of Burnaby and surrounding areas.

Yes, we’re happy to accept walk-ins for a notary, however, there may be times when the notary is unavailable if you were to walk-in. We recommend calling ahead of arriving, just to ensure the notary is available. Our office hours are 9:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, however sometimes the notary is at the bank or with other clients, and you may need to wait temporarily.

The primary difference between BC Notaries and BC Lawyers is that BC Notaries do not represent clients in court; BC Notaries do not get involved in the litigation process. While BC Notaries and lawyers both deal with legal matters, BC Notaries are restricted to non-contentious legal matters. This includes matters in which all parties have reached an agreement. This includes real estate purchases and sales, mortgages, transfers, and estate planning. In general, when a real estate/conveyancing lawyer assists you with your real estate purchase, rather than a notary, the lawyer helping you likely does not get involved in litigation processes either, and if a problem arises, will recommend you seek out a litigation lawyer to help with any contentious matters that arise. The BC Notary will do the same, refer you out to a litigation lawyer who can best assist you.

You can call us or you can book an appointment here.

A Will is a legal document setting out how your assets are to be distributed on your death. A Will allows you to appoint an individual or individuals to handle your affairs on your passing. This person’s role is called an executor. Your executor is responsible for administering your funeral wishes, paying any debts, filing your final income tax, and distributing your assets to your beneficiaries on your death. If you have minor children, a Will can also be used as a tool to appoint a legal guardian for your child or children on your death.

We do our Wills in two appointments. The first is the Wills interview, where we gather information from you. We then send you a draft of the document by email for review. The second is the signing appointment, where you sign with the Notary, and a witness that we provide.

Powers of Attorney can be broken down into two categories – Specific Powers of Attorney and Enduring Powers of Attorney. A Specific Power of Attorney is a document in which the adult/donor appoints an individual or individuals to handle portions or all of their legal and financial affairs. A Specific Power of Attorney is in place while the adult is capable and can be in effect for any chosen amount of time. An Enduring Power of Attorney is similar to a Power of Attorney except that it endures into incapacity. This means that if the adult/donor loses capacity, the attorney can continue to act. Both types of Powers of Attorney are used for legal and financial matters only. They can also be used to transfer property.

A section 7 Representation Agreement is prepared when the adult has diminished capacity. It can be prepared in situations when the adult does not have the capacity to make a contract or make decisions independently. The representative (person being appointed) under a Section 7 Representation Agreement can make routine personal and financial decisions on behalf of the adult. The section 9 Representation Agreement is more common and used when the adult has greater capacity. The Section 9 Representation Agreement allows the representative to help and make decisions for the adult regarding all personal care and health care matters.

When you purchase or gain an interest in property that is registered at the Land Title Office, you must pay property transfer tax, unless you qualify for an exemption. The property transfer tax rate is: · 1% of the fair market value up to and including $200,000 · 2% of the fair market value greater than $200,000 and up to and including $2,000,000 · 3% of the fair market value greater than $2,000,000

The most common types of Property Transfer Tax exemption are the First Time Home Buyer exemption and the Newly Built Home exemption. There are multiple individual and property qualifications that must be met to receive either a full or partial exemption. For a full list of the Property Transfer Tax exemptions and the qualification requirements, please see below: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/property-transfer-tax/exemptions

Joint Tenants and Tenants in Common are the two ways in which an owner can hold title to a property. The main distinguishing factor of Joint Tenants is the right to survivorship. If either party dies, the surviving party will automatically receive the deceased interest in the property. Tenants in Common do not have the right to survivorship. This means that if either one of you dies, then the deceased interest will be determined by their Will. With Tenants in Common you can also have unequal ownership. For example, one owner can hold 75% and the other owner can hold 25%.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/property-transfer-tax https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/property-transfer-tax/exemptions

https://snpbc.ca/

https://www.bcnotaryassociation.ca/

https://nidus.ca/