WILLS, ESTATES & TRUSTS

Initial Consultation

If you or a family member require advice, please fill out our form or call us for an initial consultation.

WILLS, ESTATES & TRUSTS

LAWYERS HANDLING WILLS AND TRUSTS FOR CLIENTS IN ABBOTSFORD, SURREY AND THE FRASER VALLEY

The wills and estates lawyers of Kane Shannon Weiler LLP are well acquainted with the importance of drafting a proper will and establishing an estate plan. We assist individual clients with estates of varying complexity in protecting their hard-earned assets for intended beneficiaries through cost-effective legal methods.

Our breadth of experience includes preparing estate plans for those with single-family holdings as well as complex estates with multiple assets. The following provides an overview of the types of services we provide.

Estate planning generally, including:

=

Preparation of wills and related documents

=

General probate avoidance planning including the minimization of Wills Variation Act concerns

=

Trusts for various purposes, including probate avoidance, disability planning, asset protection, tax planning or controlled distribution of funds to beneficiaries

=

Trust planning for efficient management and distribution of assets after death

=

Advising on executor appointments, including the use of professionals and trust companies as executors

=

Advising trustees as to their duties

=

Planning for a wide range of situations, from basic personal situations to situations with more complicated assets and/or business interests

=

Marriage and cohabitation agreements, generally involving wills in “blended family” situations

Planning for incapacity, including:

=

Creating power of attorney (finance) and representation agreements for health and personal care, also known as living wills

Dealing with incapacity, including:

=

Advising persons appointed as attorneys as to their own legal duties and obligations

=

Acting to obtain committeeship orders from court in absence of power of attorney, including contested committeeships

=

Dealing with legal disputes involving the proper use of a power of attorney

Probate and estate administration, generally, including:

=

Acting for both individual executors and trust company executors to obtain probate, gather in assets and distribute estates

=

Advising generally on estate administration

=

Assisting with preparation of estate accounts and obtaining court approval of estate accounts where required

=

Assisting estate beneficiaries, in relation to obtaining inheritances

=

Providing referrals to specialized accountants, financial advisors, realtors and other professionals that may be required to more efficiently deal with estate issues such as taxes, investment and sale of estate assets

The laws governing inheritance are constantly evolving. Our lawyers keep up to date with any changes that may affect our clients’ rights and ultimate goals.

ESTATE LITIGATION

Kane Shannon Weiler LLP represents clients engaged in conflict surrounding an estate’s administration or its terms. We defend executors and administrators as well as beneficiaries involved in the mediation or arbitration of inheritance claims such as:

Claims under the Wills Variation Act, where the validity or fairness of the will is in question
Claims of fraudulent or negligent estate administration by executors, trustees or powers of attorney

While most claims can be resolved through mediation and arbitration, we are fully prepared to represent clients’ rights at any level of court should matters proceed to litigation.

CONTACT KANE SHANNON WEILER LLP

To discuss your concerns regarding wills, estates or trusts, contact us at 604-591-7321 or 877-738-3797 toll free, or by email to schedule a consultation with one of our estate planning lawyers — Heather Blatchford in South Surrey/White Rock, Andrew Zacharias in Abbotsford, and Christopher Boulton and Darlene Dort in Surrey.