Practice area
Wills and power of attorney lawyers in Surrey, BC
Three documents cover most of what people mean by getting their affairs in order. A will decides who inherits and who administers the estate. A power of attorney says who can deal with your money and property if you cannot. A representation agreement says who makes health and personal care decisions for you.
Talk to a lawyer
Your first consultation is free, in person at our Surrey office. Evenings and Saturdays by appointment.
Without them, British Columbia decides for you. The Wills, Estates and Succession Act sets out who inherits when there is no will, and it may not match what you would have chosen. If you lose capacity with no power of attorney in place, your family may have to apply to court to be appointed as your committee, which is slow and stressful at exactly the wrong moment.
These documents are not long, but they have formal signing requirements, and a homemade version that fails them can be worth nothing. We prepare them together so they work as a set.
Services
Our wills & power of attorney services
Wills
Deciding who inherits, who administers your estate, and who cares for your children.
Learn morePowers of Attorney
Naming someone you trust to handle your finances and property if you cannot.
Learn moreRepresentation Agreements
Naming who speaks for your health care and personal care if you cannot speak for yourself.
Learn moreWhat happens if you die without a will in BC?
The estate is distributed under the Wills, Estates and Succession Act. A spouse and children share it according to a statutory formula; where there is no spouse or child, it passes to other relatives in a set order. Nobody is automatically appointed to administer it, so someone has to apply to the court first.
A will avoids that. It also lets you name a guardian for young children, leave specific gifts, and appoint an executor you actually trust.
One BC feature is worth knowing: a spouse or child who has been left out, or left very little, can ask the court to vary the will. That claim has its own short deadline, and planning around it is part of drafting a will that holds.
How often should a will be reviewed?
Every few years, and straight away after a marriage, separation, birth, death, a significant purchase or sale, or a move to or from another province or country.
Where should the original will be kept?
Somewhere safe, accessible and known to the executor. The location can also be filed with the BC wills registry, so that a search after death finds it.
Can these documents be prepared in one meeting?
Usually the set is prepared over two: one to take instructions and one to sign. Where something is urgent, such as surgery scheduled for the week ahead, tell us and we will work to it.
Serving Surrey and the Lower Mainland
Our office is on 120 Street in Surrey, at 84 Avenue, and we act for clients across the Lower Mainland. The first consultation is free. Learn more about the courts and local considerations in your community.
Other areas we act in
- Family LawSeparation agreements, divorce, property and debt division, child support, spousal support, parenting arrangements and prenuptial agreements.
- Civil LitigationForeclosure, debt recovery, construction disputes and builders liens, property and strata disputes, and contract claims.
- Immigration LawPermanent residence and Express Entry, family sponsorship, refugee claims, appeals and judicial review.
- Real Estate ConveyancingResidential purchases and sales, refinancing and mortgages, and title transfers between family members.
Book a consultation
Tell us what has happened. We will tell you where you stand.
The first consultation is free, at our Surrey office. Evenings and Saturdays by appointment.