Difference between revisions of "Where to Get Help with Preparing Your Will"

Latest revision as of 18:30, 31 March 2023

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by Stephen Hsia in January 2019.

Access Pro Bono

In-person clinic staffed by volunteer lawyers to help low-income seniors (ages 55+) and people with terminal illnesses prepare a will.

604-424-9600

accessprobono.ca/willsclinic

Clicklaw

Online resource offers one-stop access to legal information, education, and help for British Columbians from trusted organizations. Select the topic “Wills & Estates”.

clicklaw.bc.ca

Law Students’ Legal Advice Program Clinics

Law students from the University of British Columbia offer free assistance to qualifying clients with some legal matters, including preparing some simple wills. The manual used by law students has a chapter on "Wills and Estate Planning" that includes sample clauses for making a will.

604-822-5791

lslap.bc.ca

Lawyer Referral Service

Service offering referrals to lawyers who can provide a half-hour consultation for $25. The lawyer will not be able to prepare a will for you in this time, but can answer initial questions you may have.

Lower Mainland: 604-687-3221

Toll-free: 1-800-663-1919

Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre and Registry

Nonprofit charitable organization that provides information, education, and support for people to prepare and use representation agreements and enduring powers of attorney.

info@nidus.ca

nidus.ca

Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia

Government office that may agree to be appointed executor in a will in appropriate circumstances. They may also administer an estate when the executor is unable or unwilling to do so.

700 - 808 West Hastings Street

Vancouver, BC V6C 3L3

604-660-4444

trustee.bc.ca

Self Counsel Press

Publisher of do-it-yourself guides on legal topics, including some guides on preparing a will in Canada.

self-counsel.com

Society of Notaries Public of BC

A notary public can help you prepare a will. The Society of Notaries Public of BC offers a list of notaries in the province.

Lower Mainland: 604-681-4516

Toll-free: 1-800-663-0343

notaries.bc.ca

Preparing Your Will © People's Law School is, except for the images, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{DEMOWARNING}}
+{{REVIEWEDPLS | reviewer = [[Stephen Hsia|Stephen Hsia]]|date= January 2019}}{{Preparing Your Will TOC}}
-{{Writing Your Will TOC}}
+=== Access Pro Bono===
+In-person clinic staffed by volunteer lawyers to help low-income seniors (ages 55+) and people with terminal illnesses prepare a will.
+:604-424-9600
+:[http://www.accessprobono.ca/willsclinic accessprobono.ca/willsclinic]
-{| class="wikitable"
+=== Clicklaw===
-|- valign=top
+Online resource offers one-stop access to legal information, education, and help for British Columbians from trusted organizations. Select the topic “[http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/global/search?f=Wills+%26+estates Wills & Estates]”.
-| width="20%" | '''Community Groups'''
+:[http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca clicklaw.bc.ca]
-| width="40%" | In many communities there are people who have detailed information about legal issues that affect older people. Ask your local seniors’ centre, community information centre, public library, or Royal Canadian Legion.
-| width="40%" |
-|- valign=top
+=== Law Students’ Legal Advice Program Clinics===
-| width="20%" | '''Dial-a-Law'''
+Law students from the University of British Columbia offer free assistance to qualifying clients with some legal matters, including preparing some simple wills. The manual used by law students has a chapter on "[http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/resource/1736 Wills and Estate Planning]" that includes sample clauses for making a will.
-| width="40%" | Dial-a-Law is a library of pre-recorded tapes with information about the law in BC. For example, they have a tape on making a will.
+:604-822-5791
-| width="40%" |Lower Mainland – 604.687.4680
+:[http://www.lslap.bc.ca lslap.bc.ca]
-Outside Lower Mainland – 1.800.565.5297
-[http://www.dialalaw.org www.dialalaw.org].
-|- valign=top
+=== Lawyer Referral Service===
-| width="20%" | '''Law Students Legal Advice Clinics'''
+Service offering referrals to lawyers who can provide a half-hour consultation for $25. The lawyer will not be able to prepare a will for you in this time, but can answer initial questions you may have.
-| width="40%" | These legal advice clinics will provide information and assistance about preparing a will. In the Lower Mainland, law students at the University of British Columbia hold free legal clinics in different locations.<br/>
+:Lower Mainland: 604-687-3221
-In Victoria, the Law Centre provides free legal clinics to people who are financially
+:Toll-free: 1-800-663-1919
-eligible.
-| width="40%" | University of British Columbia Faculty of Law<br/>
-East Mall, Vancouver, BC<br/>
-V6T 1Z1<br/>
-.822.5791<br/>
-[http://www.lslap.bc.ca/main www.lslap.bc.ca/main]<br/>
-Law Centre<br/>
+=== Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre and Registry===
-Broad Street,<br/>
+Nonprofit charitable organization that provides information, education, and support for people to prepare and use representation agreements and enduring powers of attorney.
-Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 2A4<br/>
+:info@nidus.ca
-.385.1221<br/>
+:[http://www.nidus.ca nidus.ca]
-reception@thelawcentre.ca<br/>
-[http://www.thelawcentre.ca www.thelawcentre.ca]
+=== Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia===
+Government office that may agree to be appointed executor in a will in appropriate circumstances. They may also administer an estate when the executor is unable or unwilling to do so.
+:700 - 808 West Hastings Street
+:Vancouver, BC V6C 3L3
+:604-660-4444
+:[http://www.trustee.bc.ca trustee.bc.ca]
-|- valign=top
+=== Self Counsel Press===
-| width="20%" | '''Lawyer Referral Service'''
+Publisher of do-it-yourself guides on legal topics, including some guides on preparing a will in Canada.
-| width="40%" | The BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association operates the Lawyer Referral Service, funded by the Law Foundation of BC. The Service enables members of the public to consult with a lawyer for up to 30 minutes for a fee of $25, plus taxes. The lawyer will not be able to prepare a will for you in this time, but can answer questions you may have.
+:[http://www.self-counsel.com self-counsel.com]
-| width="40%" |Lower Mainland – 604.687.3221<br/>
-Outside Lower Mainland – 1.800.663.1919.<br/>
-[http://www.cba.org/bc/initiatives/main/lawyer_referral.aspx www.cba.org/bc/initiatives/main/lawyer_referral.aspx]
-|- valign=top
+=== Society of Notaries Public of BC===
-| width="20%" | '''A Notary Public Near You'''
+A notary public can help you prepare a will. The Society of Notaries Public of BC offers a list of notaries in the province.
-| width="40%" | You can go to a Notary for help with making a will and executing affidavits. To get the name and telephone number of a Notary Public near you, phone the Society of Notaries Public of BC. Ask the Notary Public how much it will cost for a first meeting.
+:Lower Mainland: 604-681-4516
-| width="40%" | Lower Mainland – 604.681.4516<br/>
+:Toll-free: 1-800-663-0343
-Outside Lower Mainland – 1.800.663.0343<br/>
+:[http://www.notaries.bc.ca notaries.bc.ca]
-[http://www.notaries.bc.ca www.notaries.bc.ca]
-|- valign=top
+ {{Preparing Your Will Navbox}}
-| width="20%" | '''Public Guardian and Trustee Office'''
-| width="40%" | The Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee looks after the estates of people who die without a will and who have no heirs in BC who are willing and able to apply to court to be appointed to settle the estate.
-| width="40%" | 700 - 808 West Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6C 3L3<br/>
-Phone: 604 660-4444<br/>
-[http://www.trustee.bc.ca www.trustee.bc.ca]
-|- valign=top
-| width="20%" | '''Self Counsel Press'''
-| width="40%" | Self Counsel Press publishes do-it-yourself guides on legal topics for BC.
-| width="40%" | [http://www.self-counsel.com www.self-counsel.com]
-|}
-{{REVIEWED | reviewer = [[People's Law School]], 2014}}
-{{Writing Your Will Navbox}}
 {{Creative Commons for PLS
-|title = Writing Your Will
+|title = Preparing Your Will
 |author =
 }}
 __NOGLOSSARY__
+__NOTOC__