Accidents and illnesses strike people no matter their age. When people are considering how to handle their estates and assets, they may also consider having plans in place if they become unable to make decisions for themselves or handle their own affairs. This can be an important consideration for all individuals who are over the […]
A large number of people die each year without a will. In the event that occurs, their assets will pass according to the provincial intestate succession laws. Intestate succession is defined by provincial law, and a judge will order the passing of property to heirs according to those laws. If a person dies with a […]
Everyone in British Columbia will eventually pass away, and planning for the inevitable is important in order to make certain one’s wishes are followed in terms of important decisions, types of end-of-life treatment and passing of assets to beneficiaries. With careful planning, people can make certain they have a degree of control over the important […]
The wills people leave to provide for their loved ones must be executed to have the intended effect. On March 31, 2014, the Parliament of British Columbia enacted a Wills, Estates and Succession Act that made some changes to the existing laws. While the new legislation was written to ease the inheritance process, it grants […]
Whether you have a large and complicated estate or one with more modest assets, you may want to further your estate planning in a fundamental way by drafting a will. In doing so, you can dictate the terms of your estate’s eventual fate and rest at ease knowing those terms will be carried out according […]
The legal representative of a decedent is the individual either appointed by the court as the administrator of the estate or named executor of the will in British Columbia and other provinces. In Quebec, this role applies to the person named liquidator of the estate as well. A representative has certain legal responsibilities to fulfill, […]
In British Columbia a will that is not in writing and is not witnessed by two people may not be accepted as valid. The requirement to have the will in writing increases the odds of determining the identity of the person who created the will. Knowing who wrote the will makes it easier to determine […]
Personal representatives may be discharged from an estate either through their own application for discharge or by the application of another party. There are several reasons why a personal representative may need to be removed. Courts may grant a party’s motion to remove a personal representative if it appears the representative is unable to manage […]
If an individual living in British Columbia has been named in a will as a beneficiary but is unable to be located, there are several steps that must be taken. First, the personal representative of the individual who wrote the will must spend 12 months attempting to locate the beneficiary. If the personal representative is […]
When an individual is named the administrator of a deceased person’s estate in British Columbia, the job may overwhelm them. Oftentimes, the administrator of the estate was a close friend or relative of the deceased person, and they are going through a grieving process. If the administrator has little experience dealing with financial matters, this […]