INTRODUCTION
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought uncertainty and numerous risks to the health and to the lives of all Albertans. Faced with this unprecedented situation, ensuring that you have up-to-date estate planning documents, such as a Will, Personal Directive and Power of Attorney, is one of the best things you can do to plan for the future and to help out your loved ones. In the event of your incapacity or death, these estate planning documents would allow your loved ones, or the persons you appoint, to make important decisions regarding your health and possessions that are consistent with your wishes.
HAVING AN UP-TO-DATE WILL
A Will is a legally-binding document that lets you choose how your estate is distributed and, if you have minor children, who gets to care for them. Also, having a Will in place will help avoid delays with the Courts and unnecessary legal costs when distributing your estate. If you die without a Will, you may cause unnecessary grief and stress on your loved ones, and your possessions may not be distributed according with your wishes.
PERSONAL DIRECTIVES AND POWERS OF ATTORNEY
Personal Directives and Powers of Attorney are documents that allow you to appoint a person (or persons) to make decisions on your behalf if you lose capacity to make such decisions.
The person you appoint pursuant to a Personal Directive would have broad authority to make decisions regarding your person, such as health care and residential issues. In the Personal Directive document you can also include specific instructions about matters such as treatment, end of life care and donation of organs, that cannot be overruled.
A Power of Attorney gives someone the authority to handle your financial matters on your behalf. Your named representative would have broad authority to buy or sell real estate, manage your bank accounts, borrow money, or administer your investments, among other similar matters.
OUR LAWYERS
The lawyers at Bosecke Law LLP recognize the enormous risk and uncertainty that Covid-19 has brought upon our community. As such, our lawyers have implemented measures that would allow you to obtain new estate planning documents, while reducing the risk and impact to our employees, clients and the overall community. Our lawyers are here for you and would be happy to provide the support to our community in these challenging times. If you are in need for a Will, Personal Directive, or Power of Attorney, or need general estate planning advise, please contact our lawyers by phone at 780-469-0494 or via email at reception@edmontonlaw.ca.