khkchan

Hi, I am in the process of making a claim on a lost luggage on Southwest airline. They require me to take the claim form to notary public. Some web searches indicate that it is a $50 services. Given my lost luggage worth only $200 - I am looking for inexpensive or free notary public services in GTA - preferably in Markham or Mississauga.

Thanks in advance.

ProudEdmontonian

Do you know any lawyers? Almost all lawyers are also Notaries.

If you are in YEG anytime soon call me because I will notarize documents for no charge if I know someone.

Shareholder

Although there are private Notary Public services, being under the impression that any lawyer who ran a regular practice could be called upon to act in his or her capacity as a NP, and was not allowed to charge for this activity, on that basis whenever I've needed a NP to witness a document, I've just walked into a law office and asked the receptionist to find me a lawyer. I've had no problem, even in the ritziest of Bay Street firms, having one of their associates or even partners come out to reception, spend a couple of minutes with me to review the document, and do their duty.

acysb87

Do you fall into the "almost all lawyers.." category or are you a Notaries?

Shareholder

Hey, I'll keep your offer in mind...

why fly

At the passport office in lovely downtown Toronto, i used the service of a notary.... SHOCK it was $20. I think it was a great deal!

Shareholder

Why Fly, it's not the idea of saving $20 or so by not using a commercial Notary Public, but rather the pleasure in actually getting a legal service from some Bay Streeter for nothing!

k22

Cost me $20 too at the Scarborough Town Centre (TO)... when after 24 hours solid traveling I put my passport through the hot-hot-bleach- rinse cycle. Forget exactly what they did now...but it took <3 minutes for them to sign the forms.

boymimbo

Most lawyers will act as notaries. All you need to do is call a few offices and one of them is in, they'll see ya. All for $20. It's a necessary service, especially near passport offices

parnel

And cash only please, no receipt given

Shareholder

Lawyers are not supposed to charge for this service, even a nominal $20. It is part of their community commitment by law societies, as officers of the court. Only commercial Notary Publics can legitimately charge for this service as this is part of their business, and these folks are generally not admitted-to-the-bar lawyers, but rather are para-legals or less.

why fly

No chance somehow that Bay Streeter will get us... check for your wallet on the way out the door.

ProudEdmontonian

Now let's not get carried away. What you have set out above is patently not the case at all. There's a huge difference between a sole practitioner scrambling to make ends meet in a small shopping centre practice in Etobicoke for instance and the people you envy on Bay Street (or in much better example, on Jasper Avenue ).

Yes, I can afford to do it out of professional courtesy. Many others, particularly newly-admitted lawyers cannot.

Additionally, it depends on the document or documents as well as what type of notarization is required. Based on my experience and reading khkchan's original post it would appear that it is a form of Declaration or Affidavit that is required as opposed to for instance, the Certificate of Notary Public required under the Alberta Guarantees Acknowledgment Act or the Saskatchewan Farm Security Act both of which require the Notary to certify that the attached document was understood by the signator. Have you ever signed a guarantee and, if so, did you understand all 9,000 paragraphs?

Time is money for everyone including lawyers. I don't make my living notarizing or commissioning documents and I can usually afford the time. Others can't or won't.

P.S. Since I graduated from U of T Law School I'm about as close as many of you will ever get to a real Bay Street lawyer!!

parnel

I'm amazed you're not a Mple Laffs fan also

RevvedUp

... are you talking about? If this is the case, it's news to me. (By the way, not all lawyers are Notaries Public.)

However, I am a real Bay Street lawyer at one of those ritzy Bay Street firms (and as a consequence, of course, am in the office on Thanksgiving Day and have been here all weekend, although the view from my 64th floor office is lovely) and I would be happy to provide this service free of charge to any FTers who happen to be in the vicinity!

RevvedUp