Witnessing documents - pointless?

[The Y-man]

Yes, it appears you are! Why not just work under someone and get your practicing certificate? Then even if you don't practice you can still do work related to your loan business - powers of attorney, wills, trusts etc.

Naaah.... then he might charge $2000 per minute when we call him enquiring about a loan!

The Y-man

 

[Aaron_C]

Yes, it appears you are! Why not just work under someone and get your practicing certificate? Then even if you don't practice you can still do work related to your loan business - powers of attorney, wills, trusts etc.

Considered it but decided against it. Got lots of things on my plate these days apart from broking so just don't have the time!

 

[SYD]

Bank lawyers now insist that the mortgage and company charge documents are witnessed by a lawyer, so the poor Buyer schmuck can't plead that they didn't know what they were signing.


Call up our lawyers. Oh no. Far too risky. We'd have to assume all that liability. Not worth it. Call around to 4 other firms. Oh no. Waaay too risky.


As usual, Banks have delayed and delayed the paperwork, such that this is the day prior to settlement....conveniently leaving no room or time for any negotiation whatsoever - mental note to thyself - OK, I'm learning for the future.


Call back original lawyer firm. They've taken advice from their Professional Insurance lawyers that this is not good. However, to get us out of a bind, they might be willing to send their junior most lawyer to do the job, but it would have to be at triple the partner rate - $ 1,100 per hour....to account for the huge risk they would be placing themselves under.

What I don't understand with this is what are the risks in witnessing the signing of documents. Do you have any insights to why the lawyers cr@p their pants when they are asked to witness a signature?

SYD

 

[Terryw]

What I don't understand with this is what are the risks in witnessing the signing of documents. Do you have any insights to why the lawyers cr@p their pants when they are asked to witness a signature?

SYD

No real risks - unless they are witnessing someone not there!

 

[wobbycarly]

someone who's known you for years is more likely to do something dodgy to help out a mate than a random JP.

True - LOL.

Aaron, are you a lawyer?

I beleive lawyers can charge, but I have never.

My local post office charges about $10 for a justice of the peace witnessing service.

Our local police station has a JP available between 9 and 1:30 every weekday for free document signing, etc.

 

[The Y-man]

Our local police station has a JP available between 9 and 1:30 every weekday for free document signing, etc.

We ask the officers themselves to sign for us.

They're great - we went in one night with 2 copies of a whole trust deed to certify - the police officer behind the counter called out his "backup" due to the sheer volume - and off they went, page at a time, stamping and signing. They even apologised for taking so much time when they finished . I really appreciated them.

The Y-man

 

[wobbycarly]

We ask the officers themselves to sign for us.

They're great - we went in one night with 2 copies of a whole trust deed to certify - the police officer behind the counter called out his "backup" due to the sheer volume - and off they went, page at a time, stamping and signing. They even apologised for taking so much time when they finished . I really appreciated them.

The Y-man

We went the other day and the JP had such a queue that the police had to help out - albeit ungrudgingly (unlike other times, where they've been reluctant)

 

[goonandtell]

if i need a qualified witness i always go to the cop shop, i go sick of bank managers and pharmasists making out like it was a huge favour for them to witness it. Cops seem more than happy to do it i even asked once and the response was i didn't smell and wasn't abusing them so i was better than at least half the people they usually have to deal with.

Glad we don't need stuff witnessed by JPs here, we once needed a specific form witnessed and it took about 3 days to find one off the stupid website that would make time for us.

 

[Aaron_C]

Glad we don't need stuff witnessed by JPs here, we once needed a specific form witnessed and it took about 3 days to find one off the stupid website that would make time for us.

There is a free JP at the Supreme Court on Lonsdale Street.