I refer to estate planning as a process, not because it needs to take months, but because there are different stages or progress points along the way. Once you book an intake meeting, I request that clients complete a questionnaire with some basic information. The questionnaire is optional but can help provide me with useful background information before we meet. It is straightforward and can be completed on your computer or smartphone. If you do decide to complete some or all of the questionnaire, it will likely take between 10-20 minutes of your time. It also gives you a few things to think about before we meet. The initial intake meeting usually takes between 1 – 1.5 hours. It will often take less time if you complete the questionnaire before the meeting. I try my best to provide clients with draft documents for review within 2-3 weeks of our initial meeting as long as I have the information I need to prepare the documents. The final meeting to review and sign the documents can take between 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on whether or not you have taken time to review the draft documents.

Absolutely! But when people say a “simple will”, this usually means that they want everything to be clear and straightforward for their loved ones when they pass away. Before I can assess if a simple will is going to lead to a simple estate, I need to get to know you and your personal situation. I also need to become familiar with what assets you have, the values, and how those assets are held. I require this information so that I can give you proper advice to ensure that your simple will actually does what you want it to do. My preference is always to prepare documents in a manner that is as straightforward as possible. I am yet to have a client come and specifically request that their will be as complicated and convoluted as possible. There are some specific legal terms that should be included in all wills, and my job is to make sure that you understand what those terms mean. I work hard to include clear and precise language in the documents that I prepare. A will is an important legal document so yes, there are some technical legal terms, but ultimately your will should be something that you can read and understand.

Before we meet, I usually send clients a questionnaire to complete. The questionnaire is optional but can be helpful so that I have a bit of information about you before the meeting. I have an online template through a secure portal for lawyers so you can complete the form right on your phone or computer. It is helpful for me to have information about your property. This means everything from your home, to bank accounts, investments, life insurance policies, etc. If you have already prepared a spreadsheet or other document that has this information, you can just email me whatever you have before we meet. The online questionnaire is to make things as easy as possible for you, but if you are already organized and ready to go, then there is no need to do the work twice!

That is great if you are already three steps ahead, but as a professional, I always need to make sure I do my due diligence and ask the right questions before I prepare any documents. In order for me to make sure that whatever I prepare for you (yes, even a simple will), is appropriate, I need to get to know you. I will ask about your family, property, and what you truly care about regarding your legacy when you are gone. I might not ask everything, like your favourite restaurant or Netflix show (although those do come up from time to time), but there is certain information that we do need to talk about. Gathering this information is very important and is usually done in person, virtually, or in the odd circumstance, over the phone. Email can be great to provide me with additional information once we have already had our intake meeting.

The will you make today doesn’t have to be the same will you have in place ten years (or even one year) from now. As long as you have mental capacity, you can always change or revise your will. So even if you think your circumstances might change before you die, having something in place now is still going to be better than nothing. It is also possible to draft a will to include future additions to your family such as children or grandchild so that your will does not necessarily need to be revised if these events occur.

I always tell clients that it is a good idea to review your will on a regular basis so that you know it still captures your wishes. Most people likely are not in the habit of reading through their will every couple years. If you are one of these people, then a good time to update your will is if your financial situation changes (you win the lottery!), or if any of the people in your will die or are no longer important in your life. If you get married, divorced, or have children - these are usually good reasons to consider updates to your will.

If you are waiting for a convenient time to have your will prepared…that time just might never come. When you come home from work and you are busy and tired, the last thing you want to think about is your will. One of the many benefits of having a lawyer help with your will, is that I try my best to make it as easy as possible for you. Yes, there might be some tough decisions you need to make, but I can help guide you through things that you need to consider to start and keep the ball rolling.

Yes! My job as a lawyer is to make sure that you understand the documents that you are signing (providing clarity😊). If the thought of having to read through your draft documents is too daunting, then we can simply set up a meeting and I can walk you through everything. I like to make sure that clients feel comfortable and know that there are no “dumb questions” when it comes to legal documents.

I always like to be upfront with clients about fees for estate planning. Of course you want to know how much this is going to cost before you commit. I usually ask clients to give me a little information about them and what they want to achieve in the estate planning process before I provide a quote for my services.

If you are asking this question and have read this far, then you are serious about getting your estate planning in order and I would love to help you with this process. You can complete an inquiry on the “Contact Us” page or email reception@claritylawsk.com. You will then be sent an email asking for some basic information. Once you have responded you will get information about pricing and be provided with a link to book a meeting.