Estate Planning

Personal planning is the act of making arrangements in the event that a person requires assistance due to illness, injury, or disability. As your notary public, we can assist you with preparing legal documents which will cover your health and personal care, as well as legal and financial affairs.

Is it time to update your Will? Do you have questions about your health care as you age? We can assist by providing answers to many of your questions. Book an appointment today to get started.

Estate planning is the process of making arrangements for after death. This includes electing and appointing trustworthy personal representatives such as executor(s), trustee(s) and guardian(s); preparing a list of assets to be gifted; identifying the beneficiaries and considering the distribution scheme for the assets.

We provide Estate Planning services such as:

• Will Preparation
• Powers of Attorney
• Representation Agreements

Will Preparation

A properly drafted and executed will comes into effect upon a will maker’s death and allows the will maker to appoint an executor to carry out the will. The will maker is also able to appoint and instruct a trustee on the handling and distribution of the will maker’s estate. If any minor children are involved, the will provides an opportunity for the will maker to appoint a guardian of choice to provide for their care and education.

If a person dies intestate -- without a will, the estate will be distributed according to statutory Intestate Succession Rules which may not allow one to provide for loved ones properly. Preparing and filing a will notice reduces costs and prevents unnecessary delays in the distribution of the estate.

If you need a Notary Public for Estate Planning, our Port Coquitlam office is able to assist you in preparing your will if all following conditions apply:

a. You wish to prepare a will for assets in BC (even though you may have assets in other jurisdictions);
b. Your estate is to be distributed immediately upon your death;
c. Your assets are to be distributed among minor children once the youngest of them turns 19 years old.

Powers of Attorney

A Power of Attorney is a document by which an individual (the adult) grants another (the attorney) the authority to attend to the adult's financial and legal affairs in the adult’s lifetime. A Power of Attorney is a powerful tool that may allow the attorney to tend to the adult’s finances in the event the adult becomes mentally incapacitated. As the attorney has similar authority to that of the adult once the Power of Attorney is granted, careful consideration should be given to appointing a trustworthy individual as attorney.

Representation Agreements

A Representation Agreement is a document by which a capable adult appoints a personal representative to make health or personal care decisions on behalf of the grantor once that person becomes mentally incapacitated.