Information for foreign-trained Quebec notaries
(4112.1) Verified: 2009 10 14
Information on requirements to practise
Entry into the legal profession is regulated under the Professional Code and certain acts governing the Barreau du Québec and the Chambre des notaires du Québec. There are two law societies in Quebec: the Chambre des notaires du Québec (which governs the notarial profession) reflects the civil law tradition from France; the Barreau du Québec (which governs lawyers) reflects the common law tradition from England.
In Quebec, a notary acts in all areas of the law except litigation, but the conveyancing of real estate constitutes over half of the work. Those interested in this field follow the law school curriculum for three years, then take an additional year of specialization in notarial studies. After graduation, candidates must article with a notarial office for 32 weeks (8 months) in order to be admitted to the profession and become a member in the Chambre des notaires du Québec. You can contact the Chambre for more specific information on the profession in Quebec and on membership qualifications:
- Chambre des notaires du Québec (CNQ)
- 1801, avenue McGill College, bureau 600
- Montréal QC H3A 0A7 Canada
- Phone : 514-879-1793
- Phone (alternate): 1-800-263-1793
- Fax : 514-879-1923
- Email : information@cdnq.org
- http://www.cdnq.org/
Information on assessment of qualifications
You should contact the Chambre des notaires du Québec directly if you wish to have your credentials evaluated to work as a notary in Quebec.
You may also contact an evaluation service and consult our Fact Sheet No. 2, "Assessment and recognition of credentials for the purpose of employment in Canada." Although the evaluation services offer expert advice on how qualifications obtained abroad compare with credentials obtained in a Canadian province or territory, the evaluation is advisory only and does not guarantee recognition of your qualifications for employment or certification purposes in Canada. Please note that they charge a fee for their services.
Other relevant information
For a general description of duties and employment requirements, you can refer to the information prepared by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada regarding:
Specific Provincial/Territorial Information
You may also be interested in the CICIC information pages for: