Office closures and social distancing measures are making it harder for everyday notarization tasks to take place. The situation is presenting difficulty in getting different legal and financial prepared for timely execution. In these difficult times, the Notary Place in Mississauga has kept its services operational through mobile and remote online signing services.
Like everyone else, a notary public is also concerned about possible contact with the COVID-19 coronavirus when meeting face to face during the document notarization process. The situation requires innovative and practical solutions, while at the same time complying with laws and regulations of Ontario and the Law Society of Ontario.
Generally, you must physically attend a notary public’s office to have your documents notarized. The notary must witness you signing the document. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak and social distancing measures, effective March 16, 2020, the Law Society of Ontario, Canada, has changed its rules to enable lawyers to commission documents online through video and online signing applications.
Therefore, lawyers in Ontario are now able to commission and sign documents remotely through a video call. The process is also called E-Notarization, Online Notarization, or Virtual Notarization. You don’t need to download any software or application on your computer. The only thing you’d require is a webcam on your computer. Alternatively, a mobile video call can also work, such as WhatsApp or Skype, etc.
For online notary service, your document must be in electronic format. If you don’t have it in electronic format and only have a paper copy, you can scan the document and send the electronic version to the notary public.
A notary public is legally required to verify the identification of a person signing a document and ensure that the person signing the document is of sound mind at the time of signatures and there is no coercion or threat involved. In order to comply with this requirement, a notary public will aks you to show a government-issued photo identification during the video call.
There are some documents that must be notarized in the physical presence of a notary public. In this situation, you can take advantage of a Mobile Notary or House Call Notary Service. May notary offices in Ontario offer mobile notary services where a notary public will visit your home or office and notarize the document. Of course, all safety and health procedures must be followed during this process. In most cases, a notary can notarize the documents while sitting in his or her vehicle and would not need to physically enter your home.
It seems tricky and complicated, but in a given situation, it can be very useful. If you must notarize a document in person, there are many ways to minimize physical exposure. Think through your circumstances to see if you can come up with a solution that meets the requirements of the law and also keeps everyone safe.
Most of the time notaries keep journals by recording names, times, locations, and other details of the parties to ensure that all signing parties will be held accountable to the document. The same procedure is expected to be followed during an online notarization.
What are the steps involved during the online notarization process?
Online notarization involves four main steps:
1. A notary public will meet you online through video conferencing or call and will verify your identity. You will have to show two pieces of government-issued photo identification to the notary public during the video call.
2. The document is signed live during the video call.
3. The notary public will print the document to complete the notarization.
4. The notary public will send the document to you through email, or if you need hard copy it will be sent through Canada Post or a courier service.
List of the documents that can be notarized online on Ontario
● Affidavit for divorce
● Affidavit of service
● Affidavit for submission in a court
● Auto proof of loss forms
● Child travel consent letters
● Visa invitation letters
● Statutory declarations, affirmations, and statements under oath
● Vehicle transfer forms
● Name change applications
● Child custody statements
It must be clarified that in Ontario a notary public is not allowed to provide independent legal advice or issue an ILA Certificate. Only a lawyer is authorized to provide legal advice in their capacity as a lawyer which is governed by the rules and regulations of the Law Society of Ontario. The same rule applied to online notarizations. If you need an ILA certificate, you must contact a lawyer.