Practice area
Wills & Estates
Don’t leave some decisions for your family to guess at.
Overview
People put this off because nothing about it feels urgent
That’s exactly the problem. By the time a will or a power of attorney is urgently needed, it’s usually too late to prepare either.
Two different documents, two different jobs. A will says what happens to your property after you die. A power of attorney names who makes decisions for you while you’re alive but can’t make them yourself. The power of attorney ends when you die. The will takes effect then. Most people need both.
Wills
- Appointing an estate trustee
- How property is distributed
- Specific gifts and bequests
- Beneficiaries, including alternates
- Trusts where they’re useful
- Planning for minor children — guardianship and holding property until they’re older
- Instructions on administering the estate
Estate planning doesn’t have to be complicated. For most clients, the starting point is three simple questions: what do you own, who are you trying to protect, and who do you trust to handle it?
Powers of attorney
- Power of Attorney for Property — financial and property decisions
- Power of Attorney for Personal Care — personal care and medical decisions, if you become incapable of making them
These are the documents families most often urgently need and least often have.
Updating a will you already have
A will made before a marriage, a separation, the birth of a second child or the purchase of a house is often no longer the will you want. It’s much easier to update one than to make a new one.
Probate and estate administration
After a death, the legal work includes establishing who has authority to act, identifying the assets and debts, dealing with the beneficiaries, and applying for a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee where one is needed.
We represent estate trustees throughout that process. Being named an executor by someone who loved you is not the same as knowing what to do next, and the personal liability that comes with the role is real.
Worth reading first
All insightsGeneral information only, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, book a consultation.
Book a consultation
Talk to us about your estates matter.
Tell us briefly what is happening. We will check for conflicts and respond promptly.
- shajjan@shajjanlaw.ca
- Consultations by appointment, in person or by video.