Make a Will Week 2026

October 4 to 10 marks Make a Will Week in 2026. The purpose of this week is to encourage people in BC to write or update their will. A will is the best way to ensure your wishes are respected after you pass.  

If you need some resources to point your patrons toward, check out these options: 

• Clicklaw’s common question How do I write a will? walks you through what to include in your will, how to make a valid will, where to store your will, and resources you can refer to when writing you will.  
• People’s Law School has multiple pages on will writing, including preparing your will, a will preparation checklist, choosing an executor, and changing or cancelling a will. These pages are also available in print in their Preparing Your Will publication, which you can order for free through Crown Publications and is available in English and French.   
• For your patrons living on reserve, check out the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of BC’s publication Writing Your Own Will: A Guide for First Nations People Living on Reserve. It includes explanations of how the rules for wills differ when living on reserve, completed sample wills, and a blank will form.  

Your patrons may also want help from a legal professional to make their will. This is usually the case when someone has a more complex estate. If your patrons need extra help, there are some options:  

• Everyone Legal Clinic provides legal services at a fixed-fee rate, so people know what they are paying at the outset. This clinic can help people prepare their will at a lower cost than may be otherwise possible.  
• The BC Legal Referral Service matches people with suitable legal professionals for their legal issue, including lawyers, notaries, and paralegals. After an initial free consult of 15 or 30 minutes, the person can decide whether they’d like to retain the legal professional or not. Note that a $25 booking fee may apply; check their website for more details.  
• Notaries are a good option for people looking for help writing their will. The BC Notaries Association Find a Notary tool lets you search for notaries in BC by city, postal code, last name, and by language. Searchers can choose a notary and get in touch regarding drafting a will and fees.