Wills & Estates

Helping you get your affairs in order

Whether you like it or not, you need a will

Everyone does. Regardless of whether your estate is simple or you have a complex family situation or extensive assets or business holdings, a will allows Sicotte Guilbault to work with the executor you choose to implement your final decisions. Should you pass away “intestate,” meaning without a will, provincial laws, not you, will determine how your assets and property are distributed. This could mean delays, additional costs and complications in settling your estate during an already difficult time for your loved ones.

Sicotte Guilbault can review your family and financial situation to develop a plan, including a will, which sets out who will manage your estate and how property and assets will be distributed among your beneficiaries, along with tax planning to reduce costs. When the time comes, we will be here to settle your estate in a timely and efficient way.

Incapacity Planning: Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives

Realistically, there may come a time when you are unable to look after your own affairs. A Power of Attorney document enables a person you trust to assist you if the need arises— and it avoids forcing your family or another caregiver to apply to the courts to gain the authority to handle your affairs.

We can also develop a health care directive outlining your decisions about medical treatments in the event you lose decision-making capacity and/or become unable to communicate your wishes.

Adversely, if a family member no longer has the ability to make their own financial and personal decisions but has not signed a Power of Attorney document, we can help you obtain a guardianship order, giving you the legal authority to manage their financial matters and/or personal care.

Wills & Estates Practice Areas

Everyone’s situation is different. Sicotte Guilbault will review your assets, property and family situation—including second and blended families—and help you create an estate plan that will ensure your final wishes are carried out, while reducing taxes and providing peace of mind to you and your family.

In the event that you can no longer manage your affairs, we can develop a Power of Attorney document to allow someone you trust to legally handle your finances. In addition, a health care directive will outline your decisions about medical treatments should your decision-making or communication ability be compromised.

There’s nothing more stressful than dealing with a family member who is no longer competent to make their own financial and personal decisions but has not signed a Power of Attorney. We can help you obtain a guardianship order, giving you the legal authority to manage their financial matters and/or personal care.

If you are an estate trustee entrusted with the legal authority to manage or distribute an estate, we can help you apply for probate, to definitively prove your authority to act as the estate trustee and confirm that you are following the deceased’s valid last will.

If you’re an estate trustee, you can voluntarily apply to court for a passing of accounts, to avoid future contentiousness arising regarding your authority. If you’re a beneficiary of an estate and disagree with the executor’s progress, we can instigate a passing of accounts process to have the executor’s accounts investigated and approved by the Court.

Our Wills & Estates Team

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