"I need a lawyer to notarize..."

Or is it, to commission?

Commissioners administer an oath and verify the genuineness of the signature of the deponent (the person signing an affidavit or statutory declaration). The deponent signs an affidavit or statutory declaration in the presence of the Commissioner. Lawyers are automatically Commissioners for taking affidavits/ oaths in Ontario. Government issued documents often require commissioned signatures.

To notarize a document means to verify the document is a true copy of an original document. A Notary Public produces a "notarial copy" of a document, along with a Notarial Certificate. A lawyer is not automatically a Notary Public because he or she is a lawyer. Lawyers are entitled to be appointed a Notary Public by applying and paying fees to the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, Official Documents Services. Individuals often ask for Notarial Copies of the Last Will and Testament, for example.

It is yet another service to provide legal advice as to the legal implications of the documents that are being notarized or commissioned. Ensure that you and your lawyer are on the same page about what exactly the lawyer is retained to do; commissioning, notarizing, and/or providing advice with respect to the legal ramifications of the documents.