Most enquiries begin with somebody told to have a document notarised who does not know what that means, what to bring, or what it costs. Scope varies by province, so explaining what you can do locally is the site's main job.

The scope question comes first

What a notary may do differs substantially between provinces, and clients have no way of knowing.

In some provinces a notary's role is largely limited to witnessing signatures, administering oaths, and certifying copies. In British Columbia, notaries have a broader statutory scope including residential conveyancing, wills, and powers of attorney.

That difference matters commercially, because a BC practice competing with law firms on conveyancing has a completely different site to write than one offering document services only.

The applicable provincial society or regulator defines the scope, and stating what you actually do, rather than what notaries do generally, is the useful approach.

The two visitors

The document visitor. Told by an institution to have something notarised, certified, or witnessed. They want to know what it costs, what to bring, and whether they can come today. Frequently in a hurry.

The transaction client. Buying or selling property, making a will, or arranging a power of attorney. A considered decision with a larger fee, compared against alternatives.

The first is volume and is decided almost entirely on availability and price. The second is decided on trust and on understanding what is involved.

Fees, which should simply be published

Straightforward here and withheld more often than it should be.

For document services: what a signature witnessing costs, a certified copy, a statutory declaration, and an affidavit. Whether the fee is per document or per signature, since clients arriving with six documents need to know.

For transactional work: what conveyancing typically costs, and crucially what is a fee against what is a disbursement, since clients comparing quotes are frequently comparing a fee against an all-in figure.

The disbursement distinction causes most of the confusion in property work, and a practice that explains it plainly looks considerably more transparent than one quoting a bare number.

What to bring

The page that saves the most wasted appointments.

Identification requirements, which are specific and which clients routinely get wrong. Whether the document must be unsigned on arrival, which surprises people who have already signed it. Whether all parties must attend. And whether originals are required rather than copies.

The unsigned point is worth stating prominently, since a client who signs at home and arrives expecting a witness has made the appointment useless.

Availability, which decides the document enquiry

Somebody with a deadline is choosing on whether you can see them.

Walk-in availability if you offer it, how quickly an appointment can be had, whether evenings or weekends exist, and whether you attend elsewhere for clients who cannot travel.

Mobile or hospital attendance is a genuine differentiator for wills and powers of attorney, and it is frequently not mentioned at all.

Remote and electronic options

Worth addressing because clients now ask and the rules differ.

Whether remote witnessing by video is available, for what documents, and what the requirements are. This changed considerably in recent years and the rules differ by province and by document type.

The safe framing is stating what you offer and directing clients to confirm what the receiving institution will accept, since acceptance is frequently the actual constraint rather than what is legally permitted.

Explaining the transactional services

Where the higher-value work is won, and clients arrive knowing very little.

For conveyancing: what the process involves, what the timeline looks like, what the client needs to do and when, and what happens on completion day.

For wills and powers of attorney: what each document actually does, the difference between them, why an enduring power of attorney matters, and what happens without one.

That last subject is genuinely useful content, reaches people at the moment they are thinking about it, and positions the practice without making claims about outcomes.

What needs care

Notaries are regulated and professional conduct rules govern advertising.

The provincial society or regulator sets rules on how services may be described, on comparisons with other professions, and on testimonials. Those are stricter than general advertising standards.

Anything that could read as legal advice for an individual situation, rather than general information, needs particular care, and the applicable regulator is the authority.

The rest

Location, parking, and accessibility, since clients frequently attend in person with documents. Languages spoken, which is a real differentiator in this work. Hours stated accurately including any lunch closure. And a phone number that gets answered, since the document enquiry is a same-day decision, which is the same fee-transparency argument set out in what a financial advisor website needs.

Frequently asked questions

Why does scope matter so much on a notary site?

Because it differs substantially by province. British Columbia notaries have a broader statutory scope including conveyancing and wills, while elsewhere the role is largely document services.

Who is enquiring?

Somebody told by an institution to have a document notarised, deciding on availability and price, and a transaction client for property or estate work deciding on trust.

What fees should be published?

Witnessing, certified copies, statutory declarations, and affidavits, plus whether the fee is per document or per signature. For property work, separate fees from disbursements.

What saves the most wasted appointments?

A what-to-bring page. Identification requirements, whether the document must be unsigned on arrival, whether all parties must attend, and whether originals are required.

How should remote witnessing be described?

State what you offer and direct clients to confirm what the receiving institution will accept, since acceptance is frequently the real constraint rather than what is permitted.

What needs regulatory care?

Advertising rules set by the provincial society, covering how services are described, comparisons with other professions, and testimonials. Anything resembling individual legal advice needs particular care.

West Coast Media Solutions Inc. provides web design, web development, hosting, digital marketing, and business consulting to organisations across Canada, drawing on more than twenty-five years in the field.

Enquiries from people who do not know what you can do for them?

We explain your actual scope and publish the fees, which is most of what a document client is deciding on.

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