PRESIDENT, THE SOCIETY OF NOTARIES PUBLIC OF BC

PRESIDENT, THE SOCIETY OF NOTARIES PUBLIC OF BC

Four Essential Important Lessons

Rhoda Witherly

Fall is in the air. This summer’s terrible smoke and haze have started to diminish and the dog days of summer are behind us.

Leaves are slowing beginning to colour. It’s one of my favourite times of the year. It is also the time that we give our practice a bit of a reset and review as we move toward year end.

Our theme this quarter talks about “Town and Country” and doing business in urban and rural areas.

The question: Is it different to practise in a rural area or town versus the big city? As with so many things we do, the answer is “it depends.”

My practice is in a small town; over the years I have noticed both differences and similarities in the way we deliver BC Notary services.

In many ways, life in a rural area or small town is very personal. You know your neighbours, your doctor, your BC Notary, and the store owner and the employees. Even if you don’t know them, they know of you or they are friends of your best friend.

Often you are involved in community organizations and events; some of your clients are referred by the people you meet in those groups.

Because familiarity can impact a practice, I follow a few rules. First Lesson Avoid giving legal advice in the grocery store aisle, the pharmacy, or on the soccer field. When shopping or volunteering in a smaller community, you see everyone. How many times have you been shopping or in a restaurant and someone sees you and says, ‘I was meaning to call your office. I was just wondering if I should . . . ”

My response? “Great to see you. Why don’t you give the office a call and set up an appointment for next Thursday so we can thoroughly discuss this.”

Does that work? Not always!!!

In many ways, life in a rural area or small town is very personal. You know your neighbours, your doctor, your BC Notary, and the store owner and the employees. Even if you don’t know them, they know of you or they are friends of your best friend.

Second Lesson Try to avoid last-minute Friday afternoon appointments and calls. Human nature causes us to procrastinate on many fronts. The result can be the Friday afternoon panic for a notarization, transfer, or contract review.

The client may have had the document for a number of weeks but for some reason, on this particular Friday at 3 pm, it must be reviewed, completed, signed, and returned to him or her ASAP. Those requests are judgment calls, but 9 times out of 10, action can wait for next week in a scheduled appointment and a careful look at the document. Third Lesson The rumour mill operates in all cities and towns, sometimes on social media and sometimes on old-fashioned coffee-klatch gossip.

We must always be aware of our obligation to confidentiality and be clear about what is confidential. We must resist the temptation to correct erroneous statements using confidential information. That is true for both urban and rural practices but the gossip is often closer to home in small communities because your business and social circles have more overlaps. Fourth Lesson Value your services and be professional. That applies to everyone in practice. If you are just starting out, you have studied and worked hard for your designation and want to get started. Be realistic about what you can complete and when and do not overpromise. A professional start to your practice will build value for you in the long term.

For the seasoned practitioner, here’s a reminder that we must keep current and not blindly rely on what we have always done. The law changes, the way we deliver our Notary services changes, and we must change as well. s