Over the course of a person’s life, he or she may accumulate assets of value, such as real estate holdings or intellectual property. If that person passes away without a will in British Columbia, it is up to the court appointed administrator (a position that must be applied for) to manage the estate. In some cases, estate administration can be … Read More
Some Less Obvious Aspects of Estate Administration
Acting as an executor for an estate in British Columbia is an important, but task-laden responsibility. Some of these tasks are relatively self-evident; it will come as no surprise that the executor is responsible for identifying beneficiaries and seeing to it they are given their allotted share, for example. There are, however, many less obvious, but equally important steps to … Read More
What Do I Need to Know About Wills and Estates?
The intent of the 2014 Wills, Estates and Succession Act was to modernize estate law in the province while also making the probate process easier for the public. Probate is needed as per the policies of the financial institutions or agencies holding the assets that are part of a deceased person’s estate. Some agencies require executors to apply for representation … Read More
The Responsibility of Estate Administration
Congratulations, you’ve been named as executor of your late friend’s or family member’s estate. It may seem a dubious honour, but it means that the person trusted you a great deal. As such, it’s important that you are capable of carrying out their wishes as they intended. That may sound simpler than it is, however. An executor does not have … Read More
How Do I Know If Probate Will Be Necessary?
In 2014 some changes were made to the Wills, Estates and Succession Act that affects residents of British Columbia. The changes are intended to modernize estate laws and make the probate process easier. Below are some general questions and answers regarding the process. For more specific information about individual probate circumstances, consult a probate lawyer in the province. Does my … Read More
Executors Must Step in Quickly After a Death
When a death occurs without warning, the family members are in a state of shock. But decisions still must be made, and often it falls to the executor of the person’s estate to make them on very short notice. Since there may already be pre-planned funeral arrangements that the decedent prepaid during his or her lifetime, it’s important to determine … Read More
Estate Administration Headache Number 1: Battling Heirs
Even professional estate administrators and lawyers dislike handling estates where there are multiple contentious heirs working at cross-purposes with one another. Sometimes dissatisfied heirs try to undermine the probate process by selling off some of the estate’s holdings, but more often than not, the in-fighting is demoralizing and creates chaos. Siblings dredge up decades-old grudges and revert to their childhood … Read More
Protecting Estate Assets as an Executor
If you are the executor of someone’s estate, it’s incumbent upon you to preserve and protect the assets that now belong to the estate. Sometimes this is relatively simple, such as locking up the decedent’s former home with their property safe inside. But other times, it may be far more difficult. For instance, if there are valuable pieces of jewelry … Read More
Timeline of Estate Administration, Part 2
Last month we reviewed the timeline of estate administration in the days and weeks following the death of the decedent. Today, we pick up the timeline where we left off — several weeks after the person’s demise. By this point, the estate administrator should have obtained contact information for all heirs and estate beneficiaries for the purpose of sending a … Read More
Administering an Intestate Estate
If you are the spouse, adult child or other relative of a person who died without leaving a will, you could wind up applying to the court to administer that person’s estate. If the decedent dies intestate and has no spouse, parent or children to handle these duties, or if those relatives are not willing or able to execute the … Read More