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Are Wills a Matter of Public Record in Canada?
A Will is a document that specifies the distribution of a person's estate after they die. If you do not have a Will, your estate may be distributed according to Canadian intestacy laws. In most cases, Wills are a matter of public record, and anyone can access them...
What Issues Can Make a Canadian Will Invalid?
At Zancope Notary, we advocate for all eligible Canadian citizens to draft a valid Will. A Will is the only way to ensure an estate is divided according to someone’s wishes after his or her passing. However, there are a wealth of reasons why a Canadian Will may be...
Title Transfer in BC: Joint Tenancy and Estate Planning
I have talked about title transfers in BC: How to Add or Remove Names on a Property Title before, you can read it here, but I want to bring a different aspect of a family transfer – Estate Planning. Many people own property or bank accounts sole in their names and...
What Are the Components of a Canadian Will?
Most people assume that writing a Will is for the elderly, but this could not be more misleading. We recommend writing a Will as soon as you are an adult because you never know when you are going to need it. Creating a Will is fairly straightforward and can ease a lot...
Why “Will Preparation Procrastination” Can Have Disastrous Consequences
The process of preparing and writing a Will can be daunting. Not only because clients think the process is complicated and emotionally taxing. But also, because people find writing a will constitutes something existential; an acknowledgment that we will not always be...
Why a Will Is Important at Any Age
A Will is important for everyone to have at any age. If one dies without a will, that is called dying “intestate,” and there are laws (WESA) that govern what will happen to any of your assets or minor children, but how it plays out may not be what you want or intend....
What Is a Representation Agreement, and How Can a British Columbia Notary Help
Whether or not it’s nice to admit, aging and accidents are an inevitable part of life. The best one can do is to be prepared, and a little bit of foresight and proactive planning can save one’s family members from having to spend a lot of money to be able to...
Resolutions to Get Your Estate in Order
While many often have extravagant plans as part of their new year’s resolutions, few take the new year as an opportunity to get their estate in order. However, leaving your will preparations untouched could put your loved ones in a stressful situation if anything were...
What’s the Difference Between an Apostille and a Document of Legalization?
Getting a document notarized for a foreign country's approval will require an apostille or a certificate of legalization. These certificates are needed for matters of documents generated in one country to be used for legal purposes in another country. Some of these...
Can Your Notary Help With Refinancing?
There are many reasons for refinancing a home. Some common reasons include getting a better rate, changing the terms of the mortgage, consolidating debt, shortening the length of the mortgage, or raising some extra capital to finance something else—like a renovation....