Role of a Notary Public

A Notary Public, or Notary, provides limited legal services to members of the public. Notaries are authorised under the Notaries Act and we are regulated under the Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia.

In general, a Notary Public does “non-litigious” legal work which means we cannot represent our clients in court. We help clients with:

• real estate conveyancing (purchasing/selling/mortgaging a property)
• preparation of Wills
• Powers of Attorney
• Representation Agreements
• acting as Commissioner of Oaths
• certification of original documents.

Notaries have a long history of being trusted professionals who serve the public. In fact, the profession of Notary Public dates back to holding office in Ancient Rome! According to, Brooke’s Notary (Stevens, 2010) “public officials, called…scribes, rose in rank from being mere recorders of facts and judicial proceedings, copiers and transcribers to a learned profession prominent in private and public affairs”.

Role of a Lawyer

Two of the major differences between Notaries and lawyers is 1) involvement in litigation and 2) education and training. As mentioned, notaries and lawyers both work within legal matters, but BC notaries do not represent our clients in court.

The second difference is in the education and training between notaries and lawyers. A notary and lawyer both need an undergraduate degree, however a BC notary must take the Applied Legal Studies Master of Arts, while a lawyer requires a law degree. Both parties then require provincial examinations and then have to be accepted into their respective societies.

On an annual basis, BC Notaries have continuing education that is mandatory by the Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia.

How to choose what is right for you?

Choosing between a lawyer and notary depends upon the services you need. While lawyers are specialists in litigation, Notaries are specialists in conveyancing, real estate and estate planning.

Michelle Broughton Notary Public Inc. would be proud to serve you with the below services:

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS:

NOTARIAL SERVICES:

• Notarizations
• Affidavits
• Statutory Declarations
• Authorization for Minor Travel
• Certified True Copies
• Invitation Letters for Foreign Visitors
• Authentications of International Documents

If you or your loved ones need a Notary services, contact Michelle Broughton, Notary Public Inc., today.

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