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If you’re closing on a home in Alberta, your signing meeting is one of the final steps before closing day. This is the meeting where your lawyer walks you through the closing documents, confirms your identity, answers your questions, and witnesses your signature. In Alberta, this can usually happen either in person or virtually. The important thing to know is that virtual signing does not mean fully paperless signing. For Land Titles documents, Alberta still requires original wet-ink signed documents.
The in-person option
In-person signing is the more traditional route. You meet with your lawyer at the selected signing location, review the closing package together, and sign the original documents on the spot.
For many people, this feels like the simplest option. You can ask questions in real time, work through the paperwork face to face, and leave knowing the signing portion is complete.
The virtual option
Virtual signing can be a great option if you are busy, live farther away, or simply prefer handling the meeting from home. In Alberta, a lawyer can witness certain real estate and Land Titles documents by two-way video conference, but the process still has to follow specific identity and execution rules. The lawyer must be able to see and hear you sign, and both of you need to be working from the same document package.
Why virtual signing still involves printing and couriering
This is the part that catches many people off guard. Even though Alberta permits remote witnessing by video, Land Titles still requires originally executed wet-ink documents. Electronic signatures are not accepted for documents that create or transfer interests in land, so after a virtual signing meeting, the signed originals still need to be returned to the law office, typically by courier.
What to expect before a virtual signing meeting
Before the meeting, you will usually receive your document package electronically and be asked to print it in advance. You should also expect to have valid government-issued photo ID ready, and in many cases you may be asked to send a copy ahead of time as part of the identification process. A stable internet connection, a working camera and microphone, and a quiet private space are all important so the lawyer can properly supervise the signing.
What happens during the video meeting
During the video meeting, your lawyer will confirm your identity, review the documents with you, and walk you through where to sign and initial. The meeting is meant to give you the same opportunity to ask questions and understand the documents as you would have in person. In Alberta, the lawyer must be able to see and hear you throughout the signing process.
What happens after the meeting
Once the meeting is over, you will need to send the original signed documents to your lawyer by courier so there are no delays. When the originals are received, the lawyer compares them against the version reviewed during the video meeting, completes any remaining steps, and moves the file forward toward registration and closing.
Which option should you choose?
Neither option is necessarily better. In-person signing is often the most straightforward. Virtual signing can be much more convenient. The right choice usually comes down to your schedule, location, and comfort level with printing documents and promptly returning the originals.
Wrapping up
Your signing meeting is one of the last major milestones before closing, and it should feel clear, not stressful. Whether you sign in person or by video, your lawyer’s job is to explain the documents, answer your questions, and make sure everything is completed properly. In Alberta, the main thing to remember is simple: virtual signing is possible, but the originals still matter.
At Ownright, we want that process to feel simple, supported, and easy to understand, so you can spend less time worrying about paperwork and more time getting ready for your move.