Wills
While no one likes to think about passing away, leaving loved ones behind without having made a will just adds to the grief arising from your passing. At Maclaren Corlett, our lawyers in Ottawa and Toronto can assist you in collecting your thoughts about your will, addressing your wishes and guiding you through the possibilities unique to your circumstances. Our law firm can help you answer the following questions about your will:
- Do you need more than one will?
- Are there assets that may be possible to transfer without necessity for probate?
- Will you be inheriting from others?
- Do you have (or will you have) property in other countries?
- Do any beneficiaries have special needs or do you have special wishes that need respecting?
- Are there domestic contracts that must be respected or obligations outstanding from previous relationships?
- What to do about the house or cottage?
Working with our team can take the dread out of making a will – and help you focus on making life easier for those you leave behind.
Power of attorney
Through planned events or matters unforeseen, someone may have to act in your name in relation to your financial affairs or personal care. Be prepared by letting us explain the benefits of powers of attorney and, if it best suits your circumstances, a living will to deal with such eventualities. Our law firm will work with you to understand your options and create appropriate documents to make sure your living will (if you so choose) and the holder of your power of attorney can help you when you need it.
If you are acting under a power of attorney, our lawyers can explain for you your powers and obligations. If you are a relative or friend of a person who has someone acting as their attorney, we can offer advice on what your rights are as well as the rights of the incapacitated person.Â
Trusts
A wide variety of types of trusts exist – and the reasons for creating or using them are just as varied. We can help you decide whether trusts are appropriate for your situation and, if so, help you select and prepare the necessary documentation to properly satisfy that need. Our lawyers in Ottawa and Toronto can also help interpret and deal with situations where you are acting as a trustee or beneficiary of a trust. Trusts require management and attention. We can help with both.
Estate planning
Planning your affairs will help satisfy your financial desires while you’re alive and provide succession planning after you are gone. Estate planning provides structure and security, and is frequently undertaken to minimize the tax impact both during a person’s lifetime and after death. Our team ensures estate planning is done in a manner that takes into account your personal and financial objectives. We also recognize the expertise brought by accountants, financial planners and insurance experts to estate planning – and welcome the opportunity to work with these professionals as required.
Estate administration
Our law firm has extensive experience providing advice to estate trustees (executors), drafting wills and powers of attorney, estate planning, assisting in estate administration, dealing with assets in other jurisdictions, counselling on disputes, representing clients on passing of accounts, dealing with proper disposition of estate assets with accompanying releases, and much more.
We invite you to contact Frank, Gordon, Michael, Mary, Megan or Lucy to discuss any potential matters or questions you may have with respect to wills, powers of attorney, trusts, estate planning and estate administration.
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