Notary Services in Coquitlam

Anyone who has assets in Canada should have a will. Without one, you lose control over where your estate goes after you pass away. A will directs how your estate will be distributed and to whom. In addition to naming your beneficiaries, you appoint an executor to manage and distribute your estate according to your wishes — and an alternate executor in case your original executor is unable to act. If you wish, a beneficiary may serve as your executor.

For your estate planning appointment in our Coquitlam office, please bring two pieces of ID (at least one valid government photo ID) and the full legal names, addresses and phone numbers of your beneficiaries, executor and alternate executor.

We will discuss the general categories of assets you own and plan your estate accordingly — you do not need to bring detailed records of your assets. At your second appointment, we review the will together before you sign it and take it home.

We not only ensure your will is legally valid and binding; we aim to draft a versatile will that will not need updating in the future, even if your assets change.

A power of attorney lets you appoint someone you trust to manage your financial and legal matters: signing legal documents, accessing bank accounts, and even purchasing, selling or mortgaging your home on your behalf.

You may give a general, all-purpose power of attorney, or a specific one restricted to certain matters. You may set a time limit or none at all. An enduring power of attorney remains valid even if you lose mental capacity in the future. You may appoint more than one attorney — as alternates, or acting at the same time, jointly or separately, as you see fit.

A power of attorney does not apply to health care or personal care matters, and it must be signed by both you and the person you are appointing to be valid.

A representation agreement is similar to a power of attorney, but it applies only to health care and personal care matters. You appoint someone you trust to make major health care or personal care decisions for you when you need it.

If you become mentally incapable or have trouble communicating, your representative may make major medical decisions relating to matters such as surgery, transplants, transfusions and even life support. Your representative may also make personal care decisions such as admittance into a nursing home or another facility, and who is or is not allowed to visit you.

A representation agreement does not apply to financial or legal matters, and it must be signed by both you and your representative to be valid.

A typical real estate transaction has several major steps: signing the contract, removal of subjects, completion and possession. If you are purchasing a home, send us an email with the property address and ask your Realtor's office to send us a copy of the contract and their conveyancing report once subjects have been removed. If you are obtaining a mortgage, ask your lender to send us their mortgage instructions. If you are selling a home, send us an email with the property address and ask your Realtor's office to send us a copy of the contract and their conveyancing report once subjects have been removed. If you have an existing mortgage, send us the mortgage reference number too.

During conveyancing we search and review title to the property and obtain a copy of the land title plan as filed in the Land Title Office. We order municipal tax information and strata information forms specific to the property, calculate adjustments, and order the insurance certificate required by your lender. We prepare transfer and mortgage documents for registration along with any other security documents your lender requires.

We attend to the execution of transfer and mortgage documents, negotiate appropriate closing undertakings with the notary or solicitor for the other party, receive and account for trust funds, and provide your lender with their requested security documents. We register the transfer and mortgage at the appropriate Land Title Office after making inquiries into the tax status of the property, the seller's residency status under the Income Tax Act, strata parking stall and storage locker assignments, and survey certificate or title insurance where applicable. We also prepare the declarations and reports required by the Land Owner Transparency Registry and attend to its registration, and may prepare a number of other legal documents to protect your rights in your specific transaction. Finally, we disburse trust funds, report to you, and provide a final State of Title Certificate ordered from the Land Title Office.

Every transaction is unique and these are just some of the fundamental procedures in a typical transaction.