Overview of the will probate and administration process in British Columbia When a person dies and leaves a will, the intention is for their assets to be distributed to named beneficiaries. Sometimes, before the assets are released to the executor or administrator of the estate for … [Read more...]
What if Someone Dies Without a Will (Intestate)?
March 6, 2012
What if someone dies without a will? Many people don’t write wills. As a result, lawmakers had to come up with a set of rules to use to fairly distribute the estates of people who die in these circumstances – known as dying “intestate.” In British Columbia, these rules are in part 10 … [Read more...]
How to Change a Will in British Columbia
February 29, 2012
How to change your will There are many circumstances in which you might want to change your will. Sometimes circumstances change and the money or property that you have that loved ones will inherit is different than you originally planned. Alternatively, the people in your life may change … [Read more...]
About Codicils to Wills in BC
February 9, 2012
There are many circumstances in which you might want to change your will. Sometimes circumstances change and the money or property that you have that loved ones will inherit is different than you originally planned. Alternatively, the people in your life may change and you want the inheritance … [Read more...]
How Is a Will Revoked In BC
February 2, 2012
Fraser Valley estate probate lawyer legal team serving Langley, Surrey, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge and Aldergrove. There are many ways in which a will can be revoked. Some are on purpose while others are the consequence of other legal actions. If you’ve carefully prepared your will, it’s … [Read more...]
BC Estate Probate Process in a Nutshell – A BC Estate Probate Primer
November 30, 2011
Probating an Estate: The Basics… When someone passes away, British Columbia law governs how his or her assets (“the estate”) will be distributed. The estate includes (but is not limited to) any land, houses, money, investments or personal items the deceased owned. If the deceased … [Read more...]
Will Requirements: What is a Valid Will in British Columbia (BC)?
November 22, 2011
Why do you have to make sure a will is legally valid? If you or a loved one is writing a will, or you are named in a will as a beneficiary, you will need to make sure that the will is legally valid. If it is not legally valid then the wishes of the person who wrote the will may not be followed … [Read more...]
Not All of a Deceased’s Assets Are Part of the Estate
October 26, 2011
Many people believe that all the assets of a deceased are part of the estate. This isn't true. In fact, some estates may have no assets while the deceased had many assets and/or valuable assets. When are assets of a deceased not part of the estate? 2 of the most common situations where … [Read more...]
Preparing an Inventory of Estate Assets for Estate Probate in BC
October 26, 2011
One of the most important duties of an executor or personal representative of an estate is to locate and inventory all the assets and liabilities of the deceased person. For some estates, this may be a simple task; for other estates this may be a complex and involved process. The starting point … [Read more...]
What are the Duties of an Executor in BC?
October 25, 2011
The duties and responsibilities of an executor or personal representative of an estate are many. For the remainder of this article I'll simply refer to an executor, but when doing so am also referring to a personal representative. Essentially, they will administer the estate while going through … [Read more...]