There are advantages to choosing a notary to celebrate your civil marriage. In Quebec, a civil marriage can be celebrated by a clerk or assistant clerk of the Superior Court designated to celebrate marriages and civil unions, a notary authorized to execute notarized deeds, a mayor, a member of the municipal or borough council, a municipal official or any person that the Minister of Justice authorizes.
The 4 advantages of a notary celebrant
Personalized legal advice
Choosing a notary celebrant for your civil marriage has many advantages.
By choosing a notary celebrant to celebrate your marriage, you will benefit from personalized legal advice about the matrimonial regimes and the legal consequences of marriage, which the other types of celebrants listed above cannot give you as they are not legal advisors. If your situation requires it, the notary can draw up a marriage contract.
More flexible hours
The notary celebrant is also flexible with respect to the date of the celebration. He or she does not only celebrate marriages on Saturdays, unlike the court clerk.
Faster lead times
The notary’s lead times are also faster. To have a civil marriage celebrated at the courthouse sometimes takes 60 days before it can be celebrated, compared to 20 days after the first meeting with the notary celebrant, after publication of the civil marriage at the courthouse, as well as at the place of celebration.
The choice of the place of celebration
The place of celebration can be chosen with the notary celebrant: in his or her chambers, at your home, in a reception hall, etc.
There are many advantages to retaining the services of a notary celebrant for your civil marriage!
Consult your notary: a reliable source.
Mtre Mona Salehi, Notary and Civil Marriage Celebrant in Montreal
Direct line: 514-903-8560
Mtre Mona Salehi is a member of the Chambre de notaires du Québec, the Association professionnelle des notaires du Québec and the International Union of Notaries.
Please note that this article is not legal advice or an opinion. For advice appropriate to your situation and before making a decision or taking any action, you are advised to consult a notary.