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Wills & Estate Planning

Legal Information Resources (Canada)

  • Nidus: Provides resources on personal planning (planning for incapacity or end-of-life).

Hospice Care

  • Nidus Personal Planning and Resource Centre Registry - Personal planning is about planning for incapacity, end-of-life and other support needs. Personal planning formalizes informal help provided by your friends and family and gives them or others the legal authority necessary to help you.
  • Canadian Virtual Hospice - Information and support on palliative and end-of-life care, loss and grief.

What to do

  • After a Death (Canada) - outlines what to do when someone dies, at the federal level, such as: canceling a passport, notifying the CRA, contacting credit bureaus to avoid fraud, and claiming life insurance.

Consider a Digital Will to manage your Digital Estate

Outlines what a person would like to happen to their digital estate after they die. It can be a part of your overall will. A digital estate is made up of digital assets and digital accounts.
  • Digital asset = an individual electronic file. This includes: a photograph taken with your smartphone, an email, a Word document.
  • Digital account = an online account such as an email account, Facebook account, online banking account, etc.
Why is this important?
  • Passing on sentimental digital items (photos, emails)
  • Passing on digital items of monetary value (music accounts, PayPal, eBay)
  • Subscriptions can continue to charge the estate
  • Helping people manage your overall estate (access to online banking)
  • Privacy!
What happens if you don't deal with your digital estate?
  • It can be nearly impossible for anyone to access your accounts/assets.
  • The account will most likely: stay online; provide the ability for others to continue to interact; could potentially be at risk for identity theft
Consider what you want:
  • Accounts shut down immediately
  • Accounts up temporarily so that others can post condolences?
  • Assets passed on to a friend or family member
Organize your digital assets now so that you can decide what you want to pass on:
  • Do not put any passwords in your will itself.
  • Digital accounts of a business may be an asset of the corporation. Check with a legal professional.
  • Do you really want to pass on every email? Or a selection of meaningful ones?
How to manage:
  • Make a list of all digital assets and accounts - Easiest to use a password manager
  • Create a digital estate plan
  • Designate a digital estate manager
  • Include the instructions in your will
  • Keep your will up to date (check it over once a year)