Wills: Do We Need Them?
A short story that shows the importance of making a will.
How to make a group gift like Coach Dean Smith’s
Suggestions for making gifts to many people, like a coach who left $200 to each of his former players.
Administering an estate while legal proceedings are ongoing
WESA allows courts to appoint a temporary administrator of an estate.
BC Court Developing Law on When a Document is a “Will”
Principles to be taken from the first two cases decided under s. 58 of WESA.
Court Orders a Letter to be Effective as the Last Will of the Deceased
Court uses new WESA provision to proivde flexibility in relation to formal requirements of wills.
Court of Appeal in the position of a Trial Court in Wills Variation Appeals
Appellate courts not required to defer to trial judge except on oral testimony in wills variation cases
Revoking a Will – Destruction of a True Copy Not Sufficient
Detroying true copy does not revoke will when original known to be safe elsewhere.
A Look At Military Wills
The law in BC eases some of the formalities required for military wills.
Wills Variation – Estrangement Does Not Necessarily Negate Moral Duties
Recent BCSC case indicates estrangement does not necessarily negate the will-maker’s moral obligations to a spouse or children
Curing Deficiencies in a Will – Examples from Other Provinces
New provisions in WESA on curing deficiencies in a will are similar to those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan
Transitioning to WESA
WESA provides that the old legislation will often apply if the deceased died prior to WESA
Text Message Wills?
Although a recent Swedish case rejected a text message will, WESA could give courts the discretion to find them valid