Signed, witnessed and sealed — the first time.
A power of attorney that is witnessed incorrectly is worth nothing at the moment your family needs it most, and nobody usually finds out until a bank or a hospital refuses it. We attend your signing anywhere in Durham Region, evenings and weekends, and make sure the execution is done properly.
The witness problem
Ontario requires two witnesses for both a Continuing Power of Attorney for Property and a Power of Attorney for Personal Care. Both must be present when the grantor signs, and both must sign in the grantor's presence.
The difficulty is who is disqualified. Under the Substitute Decisions Act, none of the following can witness:
- The attorney being appointed
- The attorney's spouse or partner
- The grantor's spouse or partner
- A child of the grantor, or someone treated as their child
- A person whose property is under guardianship
- Anyone under 18
Read that list against a typical family and the problem becomes obvious: the son being appointed cannot witness, nor can his wife, nor can the grantor's spouse, nor can any of the other children. The people sitting around the kitchen table are precisely the people who are not allowed to sign.
This is the single most common reason a power of attorney has to be redone — and it is usually discovered years later, by a bank, at the worst possible time.
For the full explanation, see our guide: Powers of Attorney in Ontario — how to sign them properly →
What the appointment covers
Execution done correctly
We attend the signing, confirm identity, check that your witnesses qualify before anyone puts pen to paper, and make sure the documents are signed in the right order and the right presence.
Affidavit of Execution
Sworn by a witness and notarized — the document that proves the signing happened properly, and the one institutions ask for later when the power of attorney is relied upon.
Certified true copies
Your attorneys, your bank and your care providers will each want a copy. Three certified true copies of each document are included and prepared at the signing, so there is no second trip.
Wills and supporting documents
Wills, supporting affidavits and related estate paperwork witnessed at the same sitting, so the whole package is executed in one visit.
Where we attend
- Your home, so elderly or unwell grantors do not have to travel
- Hospitals, retirement residences and long-term care homes across Durham, subject to the facility's own rules
- Our Whitby office near Rossland and Garden, by appointment
- Evenings and weekends, so adult children and attorneys can all be present
Family signings usually need everyone in one room at one time, and that is rarely a weekday morning. Evening and weekend attendance is the reason most families call us rather than taking time off work.
Handled by a Trust & Estate Practitioner
Your notary is a commissioned Notary Public for Ontario, a licensee of the Law Society of Ontario, and a full member of STEP — the global professional body for practitioners in trusts and estates. Estate documents are handled by someone who understands what receiving institutions expect to see. Note that notary appointments provide notarial services only, not legal advice.
What it costs
| Any one document Continuing Power of Attorney for Property, Power of Attorney for Personal Care, or a Will | $150 |
| Any two of the three | $250 |
| All three documents Both powers of attorney and your Will | $350 |
| Affidavit of execution | included |
| Three certified true copies of each document | included |
| Attendance anywhere in Durham Region | included |
| Booking fee (credited to your total) | $10 |
The three documents are the Continuing Power of Attorney for Property, the Power of Attorney for Personal Care and your Will — price simply follows how many of them you are signing. Every package includes the affidavit of execution, three certified true copies of each document, and attendance anywhere in Durham Region. Signing all three at one sitting costs $350 rather than $450 if done separately.
This is a notarial service only. At your appointment we cannot:
- Draft or write your power of attorney, will or estate documents
- Advise you on who to appoint as attorney, or what powers to give them
- Tell you whether your documents say what you intend them to say
- Advise on tax, estate planning or the consequences of what you are signing
All of that is legal advice, and no solicitor–client relationship is created by booking with us. Bring documents that have already been prepared — by your own lawyer, or on a form you are confident in — and we will handle the signing, the witnessing and the notarial acts. If you are unsure what your documents should say, speak to a lawyer first; it is far cheaper than fixing it later.
Common questions
Who cannot witness a power of attorney?
How many witnesses do we need?
Can you prepare the documents for us?
Can you come to a hospital or retirement home?
What does the grantor need to bring?
What if the grantor's capacity is in question?
Do we also need certified copies?
What does it cost?
Get the signing done properly, with the whole family in one room — evenings and weekends across Durham.
Book a signing appointmentWeekdays 6:30–9 pm · Weekends 11 am–9 pm · We attend anywhere in Durham Region