Witnessing a signature is attesting that it belongs to the person it claims to. It sounds like a detail, but it is what separates a document that takes effect from one that comes back: some acts require the signatory to be present, and others require it recorded that whoever signed had the authority to do so.
What is covered
Witnessing by comparison
Confirming the signature against the one on the identification document, without the need to sign in front of the lawyer.
Witnessing in person
Done with the signatory present, which is the form required whenever the document is to take effect on a register.
Confirmation of authority
For anyone signing for a company or for another person: their authority to do so is checked, and that goes into the certificate.
Consents and declarations
Consent for a minor to travel, undertakings of responsibility, and declarations intended for consulates and foreign authorities.
What to bring
These acts are done on the spot when the documents come complete. If one is missing, the act waits until it arrives.
- Valid photo identification for whoever is signing
- The document already filled in, but not yet signed
- Company registration certificate, where signing for a company
This page describes the practice in general terms. Every case turns on its own facts and on the stage it has reached, so nothing here replaces looking at the file itself.