FINDING a Justice of the Peace (JP) in Queanbeyan can be a stretch at the best of times, and regular JP hotspots including Queanbeyan Local Court and the police station are increasingly in demand.
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However another local business is now offering their JP skills to Queanbeyan residents as a free community service.
Branch manager Mistie Dal Molin and Julie McInnes of Tobin Brothers Queanbeyan were required to become JPs in their line of work, and Mrs Dal Molin said it wasn't long until they were being called upon to certify all kinds of documents.
"Certifying things like death certificates and cremation certificates is at the core of what we do every day," she said.
"So it was really out of necessity that we started doing it, but so many people are coming in now with their kids' drivers' licences or college applications and that kind of thing for us to certify."
Death certificates are particularly important for Tobin Brothers' clients, and families need to have their official documents in order before they can move on to the administrative jobs like closing accounts, managing superannuation and the other effects of a deceased estate.
But you don't have to be a Tobin Brothers client to use the service, Mrs Dal Molin said.
"Anyone can come in. It would be good if they could give us a call beforehand in case we've got a funeral on so that we don't keep them waiting, but they certainly can try just walking in as well," she said.
And for those people who are wading their way through the administrative documents that follow a death in the family, the local funeral home can also help to simplify the process, Mrs Dal Molin said.
"We specialise in prepaid funerals, so people who want to prepay or prearrange their funeral for themselves can do so. Whether they're sick or not, it's just to have that peace of mind that it's taken care of," she said.
"With inflation and interest, it's just smart business to lock it in and not have to worry about it. And more importantly, their family doesn't have to worry about it.
"A lot of the time after people have had a death in the family, that tends to be a time when they think about what would happen to them [if they passed away]. And if it's been a sudden death or it's been very stressful, then they want to have things put in place so the family doesn't have to go through that again," she said.
*Visit Tobin Brothers, Queanbeyan at 91 Crawford Street, or phone on 6297 1546.
