Estate Planning
Wills, Enduring Power of Attorneys, and Representation Agreements.
Let our estate planning team act as your guide to chart a course on your overall estate plan and
your family’s future.
Your estate plan brings your family – your most important asset – peace of mind both now and
in the future. Our estate plan group will take a caring and strategic approach to your overall
estate plan that includes a Representation Agreement for medical decisions, an Enduring Power
of Attorney for medical decisions, and your Last Will setting out how you would like your assets
to be distributed upon your passing. Our team will help out a plan in place to help with peace of
mind that your family is taking care of. Putting a plan together for the future is what our
lawyers are here for.
Representation Agreement
A Representation Agreement allows you to appoint someone to make personal and healthcare
decisions on your behalf in the event of incapacity. Our estate planning team can advise you on
what should be considered when appointing a Representative.
Enduring Power of Attorney
You have worked hard to acquire assets in pursuit of your life’s goals. Your estate plan should include an Enduring Power of Attorney where you appoint someone to make financial decisions for you in the event you become unable to make your own financial decisions. We have experience in advising clients on what to think about when appointing an Enduring Power of Attorney.
Your Last Will
Our estate planning team would be pleased to help you to plan to maximize the value of your
estate while managing liabilities such as probate and income taxes. Your estate includes all of
your worldly assets including real property, money, investments, personal property, and your
final wishes. Everyone’s estate in unique depending on their personal circumstances. Our estate
planning team would be pleased to meet with you to ensure your wishes are honoured without
being contested in the courts.
PROBATE ADMINISTRATION
Probate is the legal process that upon someone’s passing the Supreme Court of BC makes an order or grant that appoints a person, known as the Personal Representative, to act for all purposes as if the deceased person were still alive.
ESTATE ADMINISTRATION
The probate process involves the BC Supreme Court authenticates the Last Will of the deceased person, or in the case of someone who dies without a will, the intestacy provisions of the Wills Estates and Succession Act.
There is a lot to work through when someone passes away. Our probate team can guide you in honouring your loved one’s final wishes through the probate and administration process.
PROFESSIONAL EXECUTOR
In certain cases you may want to hire our firm to act as professional executor. This can help make life easier and reduce conflict amongst family and other beneficiaries.
PROBATE
Our team is skilled in obtaining a grant of probate or grant of administration.
FEES and TAXES
In BC, probate fees are due to the Ministry of Finance in the amount of 1.4% of the gross value of the estate.
In certain cases, your estate may also have to pay capital gains taxes for assets that have appreciated in value. In these circumstances, we would advise the executor to obtain expert advice from a designated Chartered Professional Accounant.
