By Amy-Alexandra Jaworsky Power of Attorney Notice required! If you change or revoke your enduring power of attorney, you must give written notice to the persons you appointed as your attorney(s) for the change or revocation to be effective. POA terminated! If a person becomes a “patient” under the Patients Property Act (for example, if […]
Being a Personal Representative When Someone Passes Away
Written by Amy-Alexandra Jaworsky, Victoria lawyer So, you have been asked to act as an executor or perhaps someone has passed away without appointing one and you have been asked to take on the responsibility of administering their estate.When a person appoints a personal representative to act for them in their Will, they are referred […]
Part 2: Understanding Committeeship: What Do You Do If You Have a Family Member in Care and Need to Make Decisions for Him or Her?
Written by Cassandra Drake Committees must keep detailed records of all the assets, liabilities, and money coming in and going out of the person’s estate. They must give periodic reports, referred to as accounts, to the Public Guardian and Trustee. A committee of person is responsible for making medical decisions for the person and deciding where and […]
Part 1: Understanding Committeeship: What Do You Do If You Have a Family Member in Care and Need to Make Decisions for Him or Her?
Written by Cassandra Drake It is a situation that many people are faced with, but most do not know what their options are. If your loved one had the opportunity to do their estate planning, he or she may have an enduring power of attorney, which can be used even after a person is no […]
Personal Planning Tools
By Joanne Taylor Tax season is a reminder to family caregivers to check on the necessary legal authority that allows them to help a spouse, aging parent or other person they support. Many people tend to focus on estate planning and making a Will. This type of planning is for after death. It is also […]
Tax time: credits for caregivers
By Shelby Parkinson, Liberty Tax Service According to Statistics Canada, there are about 5.4 million Canadians providing care for others. About 60% spend a minimum of 10 hours per week providing care and most experience some financial impact as well. The tax return is a gateway to various social benefit programs and has some tax […]
Personal Planning Documents: Representation Agreements and Enduring Powers of Attorney
By Vienna Kappell, Notary Public for Notaries on Douglas, Victoria, BC In British Columbia, there are two key personal planning documents: Enduring Powers of Attorney and Representation Agreements. An Enduring Power of Attorney deals strictly with financial and legal matters while a Representation Agreement may deal with personal and health care matters and or legal […]
The ins and outs of hiring private care
In the past few months, Family Caregivers of BC received numerous calls from individuals asking about how to hire private care, through an agency or an independent care provider. Most cases we come across involve care for the elderly. Hiring private care is sometimes an option in other cases involving other disease specific illnesses or […]
Advance Care Planning is for All of Us
“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit This quote reminds me of my mom. No, she wasn’t a dragon. Not in the literal sense anyway (I am in so much trouble when she reads this!). She did, however, drill the importance […]
Financial Abuse
Financial abuse happens more often than many people think. In fact, it is the most common form of abuse. It is estimated that one in twelve seniors experiences some kind of financial abuse. Sometimes financial abuse happens just once such as when a stranger steals a wallet or a dishonest tradesman overcharges for a repair […]