A Power of Attorney is a key part of estate planning, allowing someone to make financial and health decisions on your behalf before death. It works alongside other documents like a Health Directive and Representative Agreement. After death, a Will is needed to handle your estate and final wishes, including funeral arrangements.
We provide estate planning services tailored to individuals in British Columbia, recognizing that legal requirements differ across provinces and countries. Relying on generic online forms or DIY Will Kits can lead to costly mistakes, as they may not comply with local laws or suit your unique circumstances. A Will outlines your wishes for your assets and remains legally effective only after death. Therefore, proper estate planning must also include documents like a Power of Attorney, which grant authority to others during your lifetime when you're unable to act for yourself.
Sea to Sky Law offers guidance on including charitable giving in your estate plan, which can provide both tax benefits and personal fulfillment. With over 30 years of experience, they recommend organizing your estate documents and thoughts in a 3-ring binder using lined paper for notes—never writing directly on legal documents. Always seek legal advice before making changes to your Will to avoid costly mistakes.
We provide probate services across British Columbia, backed by over 30 years of experience assisting individuals with personal, family, and business legal matters. Our flexible service options include on-demand advice, do-it-yourself support with expert guidance, and full-service traditional retainers. We also offer 24/7 assistance through our AI legal assistant. Visit www.seatoskylaw.ca for contact details and free legal information.
Healthcare directives are a key part of personal (estate) planning, addressing situations where illness or injury prevents you from making decisions. Alongside a Power of Attorney and Representation Agreement, these documents express your wishes and authorize others to act for you. With over 30 years of experience, we help clients across BC prepare these essential legal tools—regardless of age or family status.
Personal planning means creating written plans and legal documents to prepare for life’s expected and unexpected events. This includes a Will for after-death decisions, and legal forms like a Power of Attorney and Representation Agreement for financial and health matters before death. Proper planning reduces stress and cost for loved ones. Services are available virtually across BC and in-person in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.
Many people don’t have a current Will, but it’s essential to review and update yours regularly to ensure it reflects your wishes about your estate, beneficiaries, and guardians for your children.
Trustees and estate executors in BC have serious legal duties when administering trusts and estates. We provide legal advice to ensure assets are properly managed, creditors paid, and liabilities avoided.
We help BC residents draft Wills and plan for both before and after death. A Will ensures your wishes are followed after death, while a Power of Attorney and Representation Agreement protect your interests if you're unable to make decisions during life.
When making your Last Will & Testament ("Will") you will want to appoint a Guardian (plus alternate) for your Children if they are infants or not mentally competent as an adult. Guardians appointed by your Will will parent your children until they are adults, so their skills are likely different from what your Executor or Trustee needs.
Avoiding court battles is ideal, and many disputes can be resolved through negotiation, mediation, or litigation. With over 30 years of experience, SEA TO SKY LAW Group has helped thousands across BC. Success in settlements and trials depends on strong evidence—especially documents, as human memory can be limited and biased. The first crucial step in resolving any dispute is gathering the necessary paperwork to support your case.
A PLAN TO ACHIEVE YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS! It is that time of year again. Remember that failing to plan is planning to fail. Most of us do not make resolutions because we are just recycling the past ones we never completed, or we are starting the year with the negative assumption that we w...
Sole Guardianship is rare because child psychologists say a child benefits from having both parents involved in its parenting.
How do I solve a dispute without an expensive trial? In general, there are only two methods to solve every dispute - either make a deal or ask the court to make a decision. Negotiation on our own is often difficult while professional problem solvers like mediators and lawyers are often successf...
What is the difference between criminal law and civil law? Civil law is when people and businesses are suing another individual or business or even a government for a remedy. For example, if you are injured in a car accident or assaulted or someone trespasses or causes damages or a cheque is NSF...
Why does the court process seem slow and expensive? For justice to be seen to be done, the judge must hear all views before determining the facts proven by the evidence. The parties, not the court, have the evidentiary burden of presenting the evidence required to prove the facts they want the...
Life is not smooth sailing. Your insurance broker can give you all the stats about why you should have accident insurance and critical health insu...
There are two types of challenges to a Will = you might be concerned about the distribution eg who gets what, and or you might be concerned about how the estate is being administered ...
Did you know that we offer mediation and arbitration services as well as support if you already have a mediator? It is always worth trying mediation because statistics show that almost any dispute can be reduced if not resolved ...
If you have a properly made written Will then in BC you can apply for probate by the desk order process which is when you can obtain a court order without a hearing. If the registry staff confirms you have filed all the required docu...
In BC, normally your Last Will & Testament is valid if it is a document you sign at the end with two adult witnesses. Your Will is valid upon being correctly made but it is not effective until your death because of course you could change it at any t...
I have over 30 successful years of experience helping thousands of different people resolve their disputes, both business & personal, whether with a personal partner or a business partner. After more than 30 years of solving disputes, I encourage my clients to try mediation when possible to at le...
When families separate, often a pet is involved. In BC, a pet is considered property which meant that, if the parents could not otherwise agree, the Court could only apply the law involving the division of assets. For example, if a pet was owned by one of the spouses before the marriage started...
A Power of Attorney (POA) is very flexible; there are many types and uses of a POA both business and personal because you can make a POA with only limited power, restricted in time and or task, or give an unrestricted general power where your designate can do anything you can do. Most know that...
TRUST TAX TROUBLE It is tax season and a new wrinkle to consider is the change by CRA to trust reporting. The change appears to be that even "bare" trusts must file a tax return even if there was no income. A Bare Trust can be created as easily as you being added to your parent's bank account to...
Sea to Sky Law Group is committed to answering your questions about, Estate, Business, Mediation, and Dispute Resolution issues in British Columbia. We offer experienced advice to support your DIY self-representation efforts or by a full-service traditional retainer. We can discuss your case and help you develop a solution plan by phone or in-person or virtually eg by Zoom. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
