To Notarize a Will or Not?
- Willskeeper
Categories: Appointment of Estate Trustee , Canadian Will , Children Guardian , Estate Law Services , Estate Planning , Health Care Directive , Legal Services , Legally Binding , Notarization , Online Will , Power of Attorney for Personal Care , Power of Attorney for Property , Spousal Trusts , Will Substitutes , Wills
Notarization Misconception
A notary is a publicly commissioned official who serves as an impartial witness to the signing of a legal document. There are a lot of misconceptions about Wills, and one of the biggest ones is that you need to have your Will notarized for it to be valid.
In Canada, a notary is not required for your Will to be given legal effect as long as you followed all the right steps in drafting and signing that will be provided to you with your documents. Some generalities that can be made for all of Canada, include:
- You must be of sound mind.
- You must be over the age of majority.
- The Will must be physically signed.
- The Will must be witnessed by two valid witnesses.
Notwithstanding the above, we understand that some individuals would still like to a lawyer to notarize their will, and as such, Willskeeper now also provide you with the option to retain a lawyer through our platform to commission your Will after completion for a nominal fee. Check our Lawyer Support page for more information.
In short, drafting a Will is an easy process that you can complete from start to finish using our platform whether or not you would like your Will notarized. Get started with Willskeeper today.