Estate Planning
Serving Calgary, Okotoks, High River and the Foothills
Estate Planning
Estate Planning is the process where an individual consider the ramifications of their death, possible physical disability or mental incapacity and with the assistance of legal and tax planning professionals executes legal documents that set out how their assets are to be managed and dealt with upon any of those eventualities occurring.
Legal documents commonly used in estate planning include:
– Wills
– Enduring Powers of Attorney
– Personal Directives
– Trusts
Our Estate Planning team at Dixon Legal LLP has a depth of experience in these areas and will provide you with comprehensive legal services that will ensure that your wishes are respected and that your wealth is distributed to your family and individuals closest to you in accordance with your wishes. Regardless of whether you are seeking a simple will or more complex Estate Planning issues, Dixon Legal LLP is ready to assist you.
arrangements that outline how their Estate, and the property in it, is to be managed and distributed upon their death. Effective Estate Planning can ensure that your family and the people closest to you are provided for after your passing and that your wealth is protected and distributed according to your wishes. Additionally, Estate Planning provides legal tools which provide direction should you be mentally or physically incapacitated. There are a variety of legal tools that lawyers use to ensure that your Estate Planning wishes are effectively met. Estate Planning also commonly encompasses the areas of Guardianship and Trusteeship. Legal documents commonly found in Estate Planning include Wills, Enduring Power of Attorneys, Personal Directives and Trusts.
Our Estate Planning team at Dixon Legal LLP has a multitude of experience in this field and can provide you with comprehensive legal services that protect your interests. Regardless of whether you are seeking drafting of a simple Will or involved in complex Estate litigation, Dixon Legal LLP is ready to assist you with all your Estate Planning legal needs.
Wills
A well drafted Will also provides clarity as to the distribution of the Estate’s assets. This clarity greatly reduces the potential for disagreement amongst prospective beneficiaries, which, in unfortunate instances, can lead to lengthy and costly litigation proceedings. At Dixon Legal LLP, our Estate Planning team has drafted thousands of Wills. Trust our experience to ensure that your Will is a true reflection of your desires upon passing.
Personal Directive
A Personal Directive is a legal document which provides for the appointment of a trusted individual to make medical decisions for you in the event that you no longer hold legal capacity to make these decisions yourself. For example, if an individual’s ability to make decisions was demonstrably impaired by severe dementia, they may not have the legal capacity to make decisions relating to the provision of their own medical care. In this instance, a Personal Directive would allow the person previously appointed to make decisions relating to the provision of medical care on their behalf. If you lose legal capacity and have not completed a Personal Directive, your friends or family would have to apply for Guardianship through the courts. This can be a lengthy and costly process.
In addition to the appointment of a Personal Representative, a Personal Directive allows for your wishes in relation to medical treatment and personal care to be adhered to if you are incapacitated. Some of these considerations include end-of-life decisions such as remaining on life support and whether or not pain medication to be used.
Enduring Power of Attorney
Similar to a Personal Directive, an Enduring Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows you to appoint a trusted individual referred to as an Attorney. Your Attorney will be able to make financial decisions on your behalf when you no longer have legal capacity to make those decisions yourself.
Probate
Probate is the legal process that results in the Court confirming the validity of a Will and authorizing the named Executor(s) to distribute the assets of the Estate to the designated Beneficiaries. Our Estate Planning team is experienced, knowledgeable and ready to help you throughout the entire Probate process and the subsequent distribution of the Estate
Estate Administration
Administration is the legal process that occurs when an individual dies without a Will, or a valid will and results in the Court approving a person authorized to administer the Estate and allowing for the distribution of the assets to the Beneficiaries set out in the applicable legislation, namely, The Wills and Successions Act.
Estate
Litigation
Litigation
Estate Litigation is the process of resolving disagreements over the validity and interpretation of Wills and other Estate Planning Documents preferable by agreement but unfortunately often by recourse to the Courts. Our team at Dixon Legal LLP is fully capable of providing top quality representation for all your Estate Litigation needs.
