COVID-19: Transaction Closing by Social Distancing or Video

Landmark Law is operating 7 days per week during COVID-19 (by appointment) to accommodate flexible signing and closing of real estate transactions.

In response to COVID-19, the Law Society of Ontario and the Ministry of the Attorney General (through an emergency Order in Council made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act) have made available alternative options to execute your will during these unprecedented times.

Accordingly, Landmark Law has prepared the following two (2) options for transaction closings:

1.    Outdoor Patio signing with Social Distancing

*Difficulty level: Easy. This is the simplest and most popular method but clients will have to attend our outdoor patio.

Traditional in-person signing may be conducted on our outdoor patio while maintaining physical distancing and other personal protective actions, such as wearing masks and use of disinfectant wipes on touched surfaces.

Clients enter the outdoor patio without touching any surfaces. Seating is spaced far apart. Documents are placed in plastic sleeve / clipboard which is disinfected before and after exchanging hands. All signing and commissioning is completed in this one meeting. Please bring your own pens and wear masks.

Location: 93 Worthing Ave, Markham, ON L3S 4J9 (Northeast of Brimley Rd/Steeles Ave E)

2. Remote Signing with Video Conferencing

Difficulty level: Medium. Clients need to have video conferencing capability and have access to a reliable document print and scan facility. Signed documents need to be couriered or delivered in-person to the lawyer’s office.

Our firm follows the Video Conference Checklist published by the legal industry.

Clients have to provide scanned copies of identification before scheduled video conference for lawyer’s review.

Lawyer reviews documents with client during video conference and witnesses/commissions wet signature of documents by client.

Client Delivery: Client scan signed documents and emails them to lawyer and couriers signed documents to lawyer’s office afterwards.

Lawyer affixes wet signature to applicable scanned and/or original copies of documents from client in order to complete witnessing/commissioning function.