Notary service by appointment
Will Signing & Witnessing
People search for a notary to "notarize a will", but what an Ontario will actually needs is two qualifying witnesses. We provide the witnessing — at our Ottawa office or on a mobile visit to your home, hospital room, or care residence — and complete the affidavit of execution at the same appointment.
This service must be completed in person. You can book a mobile visit online and have the notary come to your home, hospital, care residence, or office in the Ottawa area. Office appointments are still available by phone.
- Posted price
- $115 per document + HST
- Appointment length
- 20-30 minutes
- Where
- By appointment
If more than one person is signing, an additional signer fee also applies.
Quick answer
Reviewed by Duong Quan Nguyen, Notary Public and Licensed Paralegal, Law Society of Ontario.
Wills must be handled in person — it cannot be completed over an online video appointment. The rate is $115 per document + HST. You can book a mobile visit online; a $60 travel fee is charged once per trip, or call (613) 434-5555 for an office appointment. Most appointments take 20-30 minutes.
- Posted price
- $115 per document + HST
- Appointment length
- 20-30 minutes
- Where
- By appointment
- Hours
- 7 days a week, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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What is will signing & witnessing?
A will in Ontario does not have to be notarized to be valid.
Under section 4 of the Succession Law Reform Act, a formal will is valid when the testator signs it in the presence of two attesting witnesses who are present at the same time, and those witnesses then sign in the testator's presence. There is no requirement anywhere in the Act for a notary's seal. What a notary genuinely adds is the part executors actually get stuck on later: a properly witnessed signing, and a sworn affidavit of execution from one of the witnesses. That affidavit — Form 74D under the Rules of Civil Procedure — is what the Superior Court of Justice generally wants when the estate applies for a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee, the process most people call probate. Taken at the signing while everyone is in the room, it is a twenty-minute formality; chased down years later, when a witness has moved away or died, it becomes the slowest part of the file. So that is the service: you bring the finished will, we verify identity, watch you sign, supply the second qualifying witness, and commission the affidavit of execution on the spot. The flat rate is $115 per document plus HST, whether we do it at the Orléans office or travel to you on a mobile visit — and those are the only two options, because a will signing is an in-person appointment and is never completed online. We witness and commission; we do not draft the will, review its contents, advise on who should inherit, or act as your estate lawyer. A will drafted online or by a lawyer is equally welcome — the signing formalities are the same either way.
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Why it matters
Do You Actually Need a Notary for a Will?
Strictly speaking, no — and any notary who tells you otherwise is selling something.
An Ontario will is valid on witnessing alone, and a holograph will, written entirely in the testator's own handwriting and signed, needs no witnesses at all under section 6 of the Succession Law Reform Act. The real problem a notary solves is a practical one. Two witnesses have to be present together, and neither can be a beneficiary or a beneficiary's spouse — section 12 voids the gift to any witness who is, which is exactly how a do-it-yourself signing at the kitchen table quietly disinherits the person it was meant to provide for. Finding two neutral adults who will still be findable in fifteen years is harder than it sounds. Then there is the affidavit of execution: the court wants a witness to swear they watched the signing, and tracking down that witness after a death is one of the most common delays in an Ontario probate file. Signing in front of a notary who supplies the second witness and takes the affidavit on the day removes both problems while everyone is still in the room.
Official guidance
Check the rules at the source
The claims on this page follow the published federal and Ontario guidance below. Rules change; the receiving authority always has the final say.
What's Included
- Witness the signing of your will
- Second qualifying witness supplied — no need to find one
- Affidavit of execution (Form 74D) commissioned at the same appointment
- Identity verified for every signer
- Ottawa office or mobile visit to your home, hospital, or care residence
- Flat $115 per document + HST
- Open 7 days a week, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Common Uses
- Signing a new will drafted by a lawyer
- Signing a will made with an online will service
- Signing a codicil that amends an existing will
- Signing a will and a power of attorney at the same appointment
- Bedside will signings in hospital, hospice, or long-term care
- Affidavit of execution for a will already signed, needed for probate
- Certified true copies of a will for banks and the estate file
How to get wills notarized
Straightforward process. Most appointments completed in minutes once we're face to face.
- 1
Book the Appointment
Book online or call. Tell us it is a will so the second witness is scheduled with the notary — at the Orléans office, or on a mobile visit to your address.
- 2
Bring the Will Unsigned
Print the finished will and leave every signature line blank. Bring valid government photo ID. We do not draft or edit the document.
- 3
Identity & Capacity Check
We verify your photo ID and confirm you understand what you are signing and are doing so freely and without pressure from anyone.
- 4
Sign in Front of Both Witnesses
You sign the will while the notary and the second witness both watch. They then sign as attesting witnesses in your presence, which is what section 4 of the Succession Law Reform Act requires.
- 5
Affidavit of Execution Sworn
One witness swears the affidavit of execution (Form 74D) then and there, and we commission it. You leave with the signed will and the affidavit for the estate file.
What to bring
Requirements to bring with you
Please ensure you have the following items when you visit.
- 01
The completed will, printed and UNSIGNED
- 02
Valid government-issued photo ID (passport, driver's license, or Ontario Photo Card)
- 03
The person making the will must attend in person
- 04
The testator must understand the document and be signing of their own free will
- 05
If you are bringing your own second witness, they must not be a beneficiary or a beneficiary’s spouse
Pro tips before your visit
Quick tips to make your appointment go smoothly.
A Beneficiary Must Not Witness
Under section 12 of the Succession Law Reform Act, a gift to a witness — or to that witness’s spouse — is void. The will still stands; the inheritance does not. This is the single most common do-it-yourself mistake.
Do Not Sign in Advance
Both witnesses have to watch you sign. A will signed before the appointment usually has to be signed again, so bring it printed and completely blank at the signature lines.
Do the Affidavit on the Day
The affidavit of execution costs nothing extra when taken at the signing. Years later it means locating a witness who may have moved, lost capacity, or died — the slowest step in many probate files.
Book the Will and the POA Together
Most people sign a will alongside a power of attorney for property and one for personal care. Each is its own document at the flat rate, but one appointment — and on a mobile visit, one travel fee — covers them all.
We Do Not Draft or Advise
We witness and commission. Choosing an executor, structuring gifts, or dealing with a blended family or a business is legal advice — that is a lawyer’s work, and it is worth paying for.
Office
8056 Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard North, Ottawa, Ontario. Walk in by appointment; same-day slots most days.
Mobile visits
A notary comes to your home, hospital, care residence or office across the Ottawa area for one travel fee per trip.
In person
This document is completed in person, at the office or on a mobile visit. It is not available over a video appointment.
Is This For You?
Who Needs This Service
This service is commonly needed by the following groups.
- 01
People Who Made a Will Online
Online will services deliver a valid document but leave the signing to you. That is exactly the step this appointment finishes, witnesses included.
- 02
Clients Whose Lawyer Drafted the Will
A lawyer-drafted will still has to be executed properly. We witness the signing and take the affidavit of execution if the firm is not handling that step.
- 03
Families With Someone in Hospital or Care
A will signing that cannot wait can happen at the bedside. We travel across the Ottawa area and bring the second witness with us.
- 04
Executors Preparing a Probate Application
If the will is already signed but has no affidavit of execution, a witness can swear one with us — charged as an affidavit, not as the signing package.
- 05
Couples Signing Mirror Wills
Two wills signed in the same appointment are two documents at the flat rate, with one set of witnesses and, on a mobile visit, one travel fee.
Transparent pricing
$115 per document + HST. Every fee shown before you pay.
The price you see is what you pay at the counter. HST applies. If more than one person is signing, an additional signer fee also applies.
Mobile visits are paid online: HST plus a small card processing fee, shown in full before you pay. The travel fee is charged once per trip, not per document.
See the full price breakdown, HST and card fee includedPricing details
- $115 per document
Will signing package
Witnessing, the second witness we supply, and the affidavit of execution
- $115 per document
Will signed with a power of attorney
Each document is its own package; one appointment covers them all
- $24.95
Affidavit of execution on its own (for probate)
Per seal + HST — charged as an affidavit when the will is already signed
- $24.95
Certified true copy of a will
Per copy + HST; bring the original for the notary to compare
- $60
Mobile visit (travel fee)
Charged once per trip, not per document
Ready when you are. Same-day slots available 7 days a week.
A will signing is $115 per document plus HST, and that flat package covers the witnessing, the second qualifying witness we supply, and the affidavit of execution taken at the same appointment. A mobile visit adds the flat $60 travel fee once for the trip. An affidavit of execution sworn on its own — the usual probate case, where the will was signed years earlier — is charged as an affidavit at $24.95 per seal plus HST instead. We witness signatures and commission affidavits; we do not draft wills, review their contents, advise on beneficiaries or executors, assess testamentary capacity as a medical question, store your original will, or act as your estate lawyer. A will raising questions of capacity, a blended family, business assets, or a dependant's support claim should be prepared by a lawyer. The testator must attend in person, understand the document, and sign free of anyone else's pressure.
FAQs
Common questions about wills
If your question is not here, .
Read more on the blog
Practical guides written for the same kinds of clients we see in person. Free to read, no signup.
0114 min readAffidavit of Execution of an Ontario Will: What a Notary Actually Does
Affidavit of execution Ontario explained — what an executor brings to probate, how a notary or commissioner takes the witness's sworn statement, and what to bring to an Ottawa appointment.
028 min readWills and Estate Documents: What Needs Notarization?
Complete guide to notarization requirements for wills and estate documents in Ontario. Learn which estate planning documents need notarization and how to properly prepare them.
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Related services
View All ServicesMost people sign a will and both powers of attorney in the same appointment.
We travel to a home, hospital, or care residence when the testator cannot come to us.
An affidavit of execution on its own is charged as an affidavit, not as the signing package.
Banks and the estate file often want a certified true copy of the signed will.
Book today
Ready to book your wills?
$115 per document + HST. 20-30 minutes. Book a mobile visit online; the $60 travel fee is charged once per trip, or call for an office appointment.
Wills
$115 per document + HST · +$60 travel / trip