In British Columbia you must be registered with the BC transplant society in order to be an organ donor which you can do online at any time. Using your BC Services (Care Card) number, you can also verify through this site if you have previously registered. Register today and save a life! http://www.transplant.bc.ca/
Q. I am applying for Medical Assistance in Dying and require witnesses for my Record of Patient Request form. Apparently the witnesses cannot be a beneficiary under my Will or a recipient in any other way of a financial or material benefit resulting from my death. I am also advised that the witnesses cannot be an owner…
As a Tenant in Common, you own your interest in the property outright: on your death, your interest in the property is yours to leave to a beneficiary. This is how you may own property with a business partner. As a Joint Tenant, there is a right of survivorship: on your death, your beneficial interest…
Here are 5 reasons why you should have a Will: Create Certainty When There Are Changes in Your Family Creating a Will and ensuring that all documents are up-to-date is very important for the many people whose relationship status has changed. Changes can include marriage, separation, divorce, or a birth or a death in the family.…
As we get older it becomes more and more apparent that no matter how much we take care of ourselves and how much we try to avoid hardship, we cannot predict the possible obstacles that the future holds. By the age of 50, you have probably learned that even the best planned strategies need a…
A. Joint Wills, which basically combine the Will of two people into a single document, are not recognized under British Columbia law. Most couples create “mirror Wills” which are two separate Wills that are identical in all respects. For example, a husband and wife can make mirror Wills where they name each other as Trustee,…
Yes there are. An estate used to be divided on the basis of “consanguinity” and it is now divided in a “parentelic” manner. If you have a spouse and no “descendants”, everything goes to your spouse. If you have no spouse, everything goes to your descendants. If you have a spouse and descendants there is…
Although you should certainly share your decision with family members so that they are aware of your wishes, you must register with the Organ Donor Registry to be an organ donor in British Columbia. The Organ Donor Registry replaces all previous ways of recording your wishes, including signing up through your B.C. Driver’s Licence or…
A Will’s Notice indicates that you have done a Will, the date it was signed and the location of the original. If you move and the location of your original Wills changes from what is in the Registry, or of course if you do a new Will, you should definitely file a new Notice with…
Not unless you have changes to your existing Will you would like to make. The new Wills, Estates and Succession Act does not invalidate any Wills that were written before it came into effect, although the Act affects all Wills, no matter when they were written. If you already have a Will, you may wish…