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Blog - April 16, 2024

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Articles related to estate planning documents in Canada

Canada

A young person’s guide to writing a Will

Any time is the right time to create a Will. In fact, it is best to create a Will when you are younger and update it over time. Preparing a Last Will and Testament is a process that is often considered long, expensive, and daunting for many people. It doesn’t have to be that way, […]

The post A young person’s guide to writing a Will appeared first on The Canadian Legal Wills Blog.

All about Trusts – how to include a Trust in your Will

There are many different varieties of Trust, and this can become confusing to anybody not familiar with the relationship between Trusts and Wills. In this article we will give an overview of Trusts, what they mean, how they work, and which types of trusts can be incorporated into your Will. At LegalWills.ca we support a […]

The post All about Trusts – how to include a Trust in your Will appeared first on The Canadian Legal Wills Blog.

The Holographic Will – what is it and when should you use one?

At LegalWills.ca we allow you to prepare your own Will. This occasionally creates confusion because people think that the end result is a handwritten Will. This further confuses people because they have read that some provinces (notably BC) do not accept a holographic Will as a legal document. But there are a number of errors […]

The post The Holographic Will – what is it and when should you use one? appeared first on The Canadian Legal Wills Blog.

A Government of Canada Will Kit – Does it exist?

Every Canadian adult should have a Will in place. It is a document that should be written as you turn 18 or 19, and should be updated throughout your life as your circumstances change. If we know that everybody should have a Will, it’s a reasonable question: is there a Government of Canada Will Kit […]

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How can you set Executor fees?

At LegalWills.ca we have made a decision to not allow you to set Executor fees in your Will. There is a good reason for this, and it does require some understanding of Executor fees and how they are calculated. What are Executor Fees? Within your Will you name an Executor. This person has the responsibility […]

The post How can you set Executor fees? appeared first on The Canadian Legal Wills Blog.

A Guide to Modern Wills: The Digital Will, Electronic Wills, and Online Wills

The law pertaining to Wills has been in place for almost 200 years. Over that time, very little has changed in the requirements to create a legal Last Will and Testament. The law has always stated that a Will must be written on paper and signed in ink in the presence of two witnesses, who […]

The post A Guide to Modern Wills: The Digital Will, Electronic Wills, and Online Wills appeared first on The Canadian Legal Wills Blog.

Changes in Ontario law

It is very important when researching information on the internet, that the references are kept up-to-date. As of January 1st 2022, many articles explaining that a Will is revoked on marriage will be out-of-date. Predatory marriages The law in Ontario is changing to protect disinherited children, and the court battles that arise from “predatory marriages”. […]

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How LegalWills.ca created the first electronically signed Will in Canada.

On December 1st, 2021, new laws came into effect in British Columbia that allowed BC residents to create an “electronic Will” – a document signed and stored entirely online. After the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, most Canadian Provinces allowed remote witnessing of Wills – meaning that your witnesses could watch you sign the document […]

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A short explainer on electronically signing a Will in British Columbia

For the last 200 years, the law that describes how to write a Will has barely changed. You have been required to write a Will on a piece of paper and sign it in ink in the presence of two witnesses. In 2020 because of COVID, some laws changed to allow witnesses to be “virtually” […]

The post A short explainer on electronically signing a Will in British Columbia appeared first on The Canadian Legal Wills Blog.

Electronically signing a Digital Will with LegalWills.ca

At LegalWills.ca we have always felt that technology could do far more for Will writing and estate planning than the law allowed. The legal requirements for writing a Will hadn’t fundamentally changed for nearly two centuries. A Will had to be written on a piece of paper, then signed in ink in the physical presence […]

The post Electronically signing a Digital Will with LegalWills.ca appeared first on The Canadian Legal Wills Blog.


U.S. Legal Wills Blog RSS Feed

Articles related to estate planning documents in the United States

United States

Every document you need for a complete estate plan.

Writing your Last Will and Testament is a very important step to protect your family and loved ones. It allows you to make key appointments, and also describe the distribution of your assets. But it is only step part of a complete estate plan. At USLegalWills.com we offer a complete estate planning service – you […]

The post Every document you need for a complete estate plan. appeared first on The U.S. Legal Wills Blog.

What Will Happen To Your Reward Points And Miles After Your Death?

This is a guest post, written by Andy Masaki: Andy is a blogger and financial writer associated with the Oak View Law Group. He is a debt expert and a member of several online forums where he shares his advice as well as tips to lead a financially independent life. In this article he shares […]

The post What Will Happen To Your Reward Points And Miles After Your Death? appeared first on The U.S. Legal Wills Blog.

Estate Planning in troubled times

Today’s blog post isn’t quite like anything we’ve done before. We felt, all things considered, that it was important to connect with you all on a more human level. Even though we’re still working away behind the scenes, it certainly isn’t ‘business as usual’ for us — or for anyone for that matter. It’s hard […]

The post Estate Planning in troubled times appeared first on The U.S. Legal Wills Blog.

Updating your Will. When? How? and How much?

We recently commissioned a survey to determine how many Americans didn’t have a Will. But we added a question that most surveys don’t ask; “Do you have a Will, but you consider it to be out-of-date?”. People often feel that it’s difficult to get their Will written. But updating a Will can be just as […]

The post Updating your Will. When? How? and How much? appeared first on The U.S. Legal Wills Blog.

Write your own Will – 10 reasons why it just makes sense.

You don’t need a lawyer to write a Will. A lawyer, or estate planning attorney is trained in the law. If you have doubts about a particular situation, and you need a legal opinion on this situation, then you should speak to a lawyer. Most people when they write a Will do not need to […]

The post Write your own Will – 10 reasons why it just makes sense. appeared first on The U.S. Legal Wills Blog.

Last Will and Testament – What it is, When you need it, How to write it.

What is a Last Will and Testament? A Last Will and Testament is a document that is written while you are mentally capable, that expresses your wishes for after you have died. It deals with the distribution of your possessions (your “estate”) and makes key appointments like your Executor (the person who will carry out […]

The post Last Will and Testament – What it is, When you need it, How to write it. appeared first on The U.S. Legal Wills Blog.

How much does a Will cost? And why?

This question leads to a number of further questions: What exactly is a Will? Why are some Wills free? Why do some Wills cost $1,000? How much should a Will cost? What about online Will services? Why do Wills at USLegalWills.com cost $39.95? We will address all of these questions and more in this article. […]

The post How much does a Will cost? And why? appeared first on The U.S. Legal Wills Blog.

Estate Planning: Best Advice for New Parents

There are around four million births every year in the US. That’s a lot of babies to clothe, feed and diaper change. Becoming a parent is one of the greatest joys in life but it also brings with it a lot of responsibilities.When your child is born you might not think immediately about estate planning, […]

The post Estate Planning: Best Advice for New Parents appeared first on The U.S. Legal Wills Blog.

Named Executor of a Will: Now What?

After an individual’s death, his or her assets will be gathered, business affairs settled, debts paid, necessary tax returns filed, and assets distributed as the deceased individual directed in their will. This distribution of assets will be conducted on behalf of the decedent by a person acting in a fiduciary capacity, either as the executor […]

The post Named Executor of a Will: Now What? appeared first on The U.S. Legal Wills Blog.

How to Choose a Legal Guardian for Your Children

When we decide to sit down and write a Will we obviously think about our valuable possessions, property and savings, but more importantly than all of that, you might need to consider a legal guardian for your children. Two-thirds of American parents haven’t chosen a legal guardian, but whether your children are infants or teenagers, […]

The post How to Choose a Legal Guardian for Your Children appeared first on The U.S. Legal Wills Blog.


U.K. Legal Wills Blog RSS Feed

Articles related to estate planning documents in England and Wales

United Kingdom

Can I include my pet in my will? | Providing for your pets by leaving money in a pet trust in your estate plan 

Paws-itively Secure Pets! Ensuring Pets Have Long-Term Financial Security Through your Estate Plan We all love our pets and you will want to make sure your pet is taken care of even after we’re gone. Pets can be part of the family, so it makes sense that you would want your pet to be provided […]

The post Can I include my pet in my will? | Providing for your pets by leaving money in a pet trust in your estate plan  appeared first on The U.K. Legal Wills Blog.

My parents didn’t have a Will. This is what I did.

I am one of the co-founders of LegalWills. We offer online Will writing services for the UK (through LegalWills.co.uk), Canada (through LegalWills.ca) and the US (through USLegalWills.com). Over the last 20 years, over half a million Wills have been created using the tools developed by Henry Raud and myself, Tim Hewson. On a trip back […]

The post My parents didn’t have a Will. This is what I did. appeared first on The U.K. Legal Wills Blog.

The duties of an Executor of a Will

You can’t help but feel honoured when you’re named as the Executor of the estate of a family member or friend. It’s a sign that you’re trusted and respected. However, that sentiment might change when you realise what the task fully entails – a pile of work! In this article we will give a high […]

The post The duties of an Executor of a Will appeared first on The U.K. Legal Wills Blog.

Are you sure you know how a Will works?

There are a surprising number of misconceptions surrounding the workings of a Last Will and Testament. In this article we want to break down the most important points of a Will, so that you can truly understand how a Will works. Here we discuss ten key elements to a Will. Understand these, and you are […]

The post Are you sure you know how a Will works? appeared first on The U.K. Legal Wills Blog.

Who will take care of your pets?

Did you know that you cannot leave a bequest directly to a pet? The law treats a pet as a possession. This means that you can leave your pet to a person (as a carer), but you cannot leave a sum of money directly to your pet. So how do you ensure the wellbeing and […]

The post Who will take care of your pets? appeared first on The U.K. Legal Wills Blog.

How much does it cost to change a Will?

There are different types of change that you may need to make to a Will, and different approaches. You may be surprised when you ask your solicitor or Will writer to make a change, and are quoted £300 or more. This article explains how you can make different types of changes to your Will, and […]

The post How much does it cost to change a Will? appeared first on The U.K. Legal Wills Blog.

How to write a Will without leaving your home – is it possible?

Writing a Will is a task that most people know is important. We know that putting a Will in place saves our family and loved ones from a great deal of anxiety and trouble after you have passed away. There is never a situation where not having a Will is a better plan than having […]

The post How to write a Will without leaving your home – is it possible? appeared first on The U.K. Legal Wills Blog.

Signing your Will – how the recent law change can help you finally write your Will.

The legal statute that describes the requirements for signing your Will was written in 1837. That same year, Queen Victoria ascended to the throne, Michigan became the 26th US State, and Samuel Morse invented the telegraph. It was a long, long time ago. The 1837 Wills Act states that in order for a Will to […]

The post Signing your Will – how the recent law change can help you finally write your Will. appeared first on The U.K. Legal Wills Blog.

Will writing in troubled times

Today’s blog post isn’t quite like anything we’ve done before. We felt, all things considered, that it was important to connect with you all on a more human level. Even though we’re still working away behind the scenes, it certainly isn’t ‘business as usual’ for us — or for anyone for that matter. It’s hard […]

The post Will writing in troubled times appeared first on The U.K. Legal Wills Blog.

How to make a Will – for somebody else…today

We are in the midst of a very strange time with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. People are being asked to “self-isolate”, some people are being quarantined, and thoughts are turning to estate planning and getting one’s affairs in order. We get this question a lot: “Can you let me know how to make […]

The post How to make a Will – for somebody else…today appeared first on The U.K. Legal Wills Blog.