IntroductionBearing Witness to Clients' JourneysWho Should Read This WikibookHow to Use This WikibookResourcesOnline Resources
Introduction
Bearing Witness to Clients' Journeys
At Heritage Trust we help clients in all stages of estate planning and incapacity planning, so that their wishes are clear. We customize wills for our client’s individual needs, and we formalize plans for health and financial decision-making to ease our client’s minds.
We also guide executors in handling estates after a loved one has passed.
We offer this wikibook to help our clients and our community with these challenges, and we are proud to help on this journey of a lifetime.
Who Should Read This Wikibook
This wikibook will help you if you are, or are going to be, the executor of a will. It describes the steps in the probate process, as well as problems that may emerge. It is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice.
As an executor you will have duties to perform, and some of those duties must be performed in specific ways or within time limits. You may be paid for your time, and you will be reimbursed for ordinary expenses from the estate. This wikibook answers your questions about all of those things, and more.
How to Use This Wikibook
- To find basic information, start reading at the beginning.
- If you have questions about particular topics, browse the topic headings, then click on the links to read more in depth.
- To search for specific keywords, use the search box at the top of the page.
This wikibook refers to many laws, forms, websites, and phone numbers. Sometimes those things change. References in this text were current at September 1, 2017.
Resources
- The Canadian Bar Association provides Dial-A-Law online and telephone scripts on many estates issues. Call 604-687-4680 (in Vancouver) or 1-800-565-5297 (toll-free), or visit Dial-A-Law online to hear or read scripts on various estates issues, including several scripts in French, Punjabi, and simplified Chinese.
Online Resources
- B.C. Supreme Court self-help website provides information about laws as well as links to resources
- B.C. Government provides online information and links about “Life Events: Death and Bereavement”
- Canadian Bar Association’s Your Duties as Executor is also available as a Dial-A-Law script
- Clicklaw has an online resource, I am the Executor or Administrator of An Estate
- Heritage Law’s website contains current information on estate planning
- Justice Education Centre provides online text and videos on wills and estates
- Law Society of BC has an online wiki LearnLSBC
- People’s Law School has created a booklet Being an Executor (2014) available through Clicklaw