Preparing Your Will

Preparing Your Will from People's Law School is for people who are preparing a will in British Columbia. It explains how to prepare a will, what to consider when appointing an executor, and next steps after the will is finished.

Cover of Preparing Your Will

Contents

• Why You Should Consider a Will
  • What happens when you die without a will · You don’t have to prepare a will

• Choosing an Executor
  • What to consider when choosing your executor · Other factors to consider in choosing an executor · You can name more than one person to act as executor · How you can make the job easier for your executor

• Preparing a Will
  • Legal requirements for a will · Who can prepare a will · When you should prepare a will · Elements of a will · Your will should be specific in its details · What your will does not include · Who you can leave your estate to · Wishes for funeral services, burial, or cremation

• Preparing Your Will: Step-by-Step
  • Step 1. Choose your executor · Step 2. Write the will · Step 3. Sign the will · Step 4. Keep your will in a safe place · Step 5. Register your will
• Changing or Cancelling a Will
  • You can change your will after you’ve prepared it · You can cancel your will · Getting married or divorced

• Common Questions
  • How is a will different from a power of attorney or representation agreement? · What is a “living will”? · Do I need to prepare a new will if I move between provinces?

• Resources
  • Where to Get Help · Glossary

• About
  • About Preparing Your Will · More from People's Law School

Copyright & Disclaimer

Preparing Your Will © People’s Law School is, except for the images, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence.

At People's Law School, we believe accurate, plain English information can help people take action to work out their legal problems. This publication explains in a general way the law that applies in British Columbia, Canada. It is not intended as legal advice. For help with a specific legal problem, contact a legal professional. Some sources of legal help are highlighted in the "Where to Get Help" section.

People's Law School

People's Law School is a non-profit society in British Columbia providing free education and information on the legal problems of daily life.