A will s a legal statement or document that is signed by a person (the Testator) stating who is responsible for their property (estate) and how it is to be dealt with after their death.

Yes, a will can still be valid. However, if the will does not meet the requirements, the Alberta court can validate the Will. This can be a very costly expense and we would recommend reviewing your will with a lawyer to avoid your estate paying unnecessary legal costs after your death.

The Executor of the estate or Personal Representative appointed in the will has the authority to register the death and make arrangements for cremation or burial and to get a death certificate.

You can pre-plan your funeral arrangements with a funeral home, discuss your wishes in advance with your Personal Representative, or you can include instructions or wishes in your Will.

A Will can only come into effect when the Testator dies. If the Testator is still alive, then other estate planning documents such as an Enduring Power of Attorney or Personal Directive will be needed.  

The person(s) who are appointed under an Enduring Power of Attorney or Personal Directive can be make decisions. Being married or in a long term committed relationship or the parent of an adult child does not automatically give you authority to make decisions for an individual who loses capacity.

If you lose capacity and do not have these estate planning documents, then a loved one would need to apply for an Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship Order. This can be a very expensive and lengthy process for approval.

A properly Enduring Power of Attorney and Personal Directive is the cost effective and proactive approach to dealing with financial and personal decision making when accidents or unforeseen circumstances happen.

No. They can be a person or trust company that lives outside of Alberta or Canada. However, if they do not live in Alberta, they may be required to post a bond or other security with the court before they can deal with your estate. Also, there can be tax consequences if the Personal Representative lives outside of Canada. Consult with our team for alternative options if you don’t know who to appoint.

This is a type of Power of Attorney. It is a power of attorney that continues on even if the person that it is for loses mental capacity.

If your alarm system comes with a service contract, like monitoring, you need to tell the buyer about it and see if the contract can be given to the buyer or if it needs to end when you sell the house

This is a person, either an individual or an organization, who is a part of a deceased person’s estate who inherits all or some of the person’s estate.