Conveyancing in the Province of Quebec

A solicitor who has had experience as a conveyancer in any of the other Canadian provinces is at first disappointed when he finds on coming to Quebec to practice that in Quebec the bulk of the conveyancing is done by Notaries who, as is well known, belong to a distinct profession founded on the French Notarial system. An Advocate may not be a Notary or a Notary an Advocate, at one and the same time. In a few cases young men take the examinations and qualify as Advocates and Notaries and then elect. Occasionally after practicing a number of years as a Notary, a man will qualify as an Advocate as in the case of Mr. Justice Mathieu (for many years a Professor at Laval University) who sat for twenty-five years as a judge of the Superior Court and whose experience as a Notary is thought to have made him a stronger lawyer.