COVID-19: Wills and Estates

In these uncertain times, there is an interest in ensuring that people are prepared and proactive in handling their estate. Our Wills & Estates team is working hard to ensure that we are able to meet clients’ needs for a valid will, trusts, enduring power of attorney and personal directives, in addition to other succession planning measures.

As it is not client-specific, this document is merely information and not legal advice.  Before implementing any steps, we urge you to seek legal advice to confirm that those steps are appropriate at the current time and in light of your specific circumstances.  Our main office contacts for this topic are at the bottom of this document.

In Alberta, certain requirements need to be met to ensure the validity of estate documents made pursuant to the Wills and Succession Act, Personal Directives Act, and Powers of Attorney Act. These requirements include formal signing procedures, which, in light of current social distancing measures, can be difficult to implement.

We are willing to offer practical alternatives to in-person meetings to arrange for the execution of wills, trusts, ensuring power of attorney and personal directives. These signings may be accomplished in a manner that best suits individual clients and can include videoconferencing technologies including Zoom, Skype and Facetime.

Our office also remains open to execute succession planning documents in-person in the event of an emergency situation, while taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our clients and staff.

For more information on these topics or any other matters please contact one of the below lawyers from Bryan & Company LLP or access our Wills, Estates and Trusts group here and it would be our pleasure to assist.