Make-A-Will Week is coming up! This year it falls on October 4th – 10th.
According to a 2019 press release from the BC Notaries, 62% of people aged 35 to 54 and 77% of people aged 18 to 34 do not have a will. The purpose Make-A-Will Week is to encourage people to write a will or bring an existing will up-to-date.
What can you do to get involved?
Prepare a display to highlight resources:
- Print out this handy resource guide: Wills & Personal Planning Resources for the Public, available from the Courthouse Libraries BC Wills & Personal Planning Resources page.
- This handout is targeted directly at the public and provides an overview of helpful resources.
- You can also find information about personal planning documents on this page, such as Representation Agreements and Enduring Power of Attorney.
- Access and print the official government Make-A-Will poster.
- Add these “Freebies” from People’s Law School to your display:
- A Death in Your Family (French & English versions, 2017)
- Being an Executor (2019)
- Power of Attorney (2019)
- Preparing Your Will (2019)
- When Someone Dies Without a Will (2020)
These titles are all available for viewing or free pdf download on the People’s Law School website, and are also published as a Clicklaw Wikibook: Introduction to Wills and Estates Collection
Brush up on your knowledge of online sources:
- A good place to start is the Wills and Personal Planning Resources for Librarians guide, created specifically for public librarians and community helpers and accessible online via the short link http://bit.ly/CLBCwills – be sure to bookmark this link for future reference!
- Clicklaw is also a great starting point for all things legal in BC. Click the Wills and Estates link on the home page for answers to common questions and links to information from trusted sources. If you're looking to make a referral for a patron, you can use the Helpmap to find options for support in your community.
- The People’s Law School site is an excellent source for practical guidance and information. There are several guides on relevant topics, such as:
- Preparing Your Will During Coronavirus (Sept 2020)
- Changing or Cancelling a Will (April 2020)
- Wills: The 5-Minute Checklist (April 2020)
- Legal Aid BC is also a great source for information and help, particularly Aboriginal Legal Aid and MyLawBC.
- Did you know that some laws are different on reserve? Look to the Wills and Estates on Reserve webpage to learn how these laws differ on reserve.
- MyLawBC includes Wills and Personal Planning guided pathways that walk users through the process of creating a simple will and explain the documents needed to plan for the future.
Promote the events listed below to your patrons, or participate for yourselves:
People’s Law School is offering free public legal education webinars on this topic!
Making a Will in British Columbia
When: Thursday, October 8, at noon PT.
How: Share or click this registration link.
What: In the spirit of Make a Will Week next week, PLS is offering this webinar to encourage British Columbians to make or update their wills. Guest speakers – a lawyer in private practice, a notary, and a lawyer from the Public Guardian and Trustee – will answer common questions and share their insights.
Contesting a Will in British Columbia
When: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at noon PT.
How: Share or click this registration link.
What: At People’s Law School, they often get questions from the public about challenging a will, including questions about validity, undue influence, and fairness to beneficiaries. They’ll have two lawyers in private practice answer common questions and offer information about what signs to look for and possible steps to take.
Settling an Estate in British Columbia: Town Hall Edition
When: Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at noon PT.
How: Share or click this registration link.
What: This webinar builds on the webinar offered in June 2020 about settling an estate in British Columbia. Return speakers will provide members of the public with a further opportunity to have their questions answered live.
These webinars are designed for members of the public, but they may also be a resource for organizations who help them, including public librarians. As with their previous sessions, video recordings of the webinars, along with relevant links, will be hosted on their site afterwards as a resource for the public.
If you have any questions about the resources or events in this post – please reach out! Email us at lawmatters@courthouselibrary.ca.