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Wills & Estate Lawyers
Halifax Nova Scotia
One Step Ahead
Why Choose Teryl Scott Lawyers?
Teryl Scott Lawyers Inc. has more than 25 years of experience. We have caring estate lawyers who simplify the process and assist with your wills and estate planning. Our Wills and Estate lawyers in Halifax troubleshoot your major life events. We recommend preparing your wills, powers of attorney and living wills (end-of-life directives) now, before you need them.
If you don’t have these documents, you may have to hire a lawyer to make an application to the court in order to appoint a medical proxy, an executor, and/or a power of attorney. Being proactive reduces the cost of obtaining these documents because there is no need for a court application to appoint these people.
We help you plan for your succession and protect your estate, when the unpredictability of life may occur.
Regardless of the size of your assets, you will need to have a plan in place and our experienced wills lawyers will help ensure you have a plan tailored to your needs.
Welcome to the easy, affordable way to get your Will and Estate Plan completed.
Here are some of the areas of Wills and Estates that we can assist you with:
- Powers of Attorney
- Trusts
- Estate Planning
- Living Will / Personal Directives
- Probate
- Shareholders Agreement review
- Discretionary Trusts
- Guardian Appointments
Our Easy Estate Law Process
One Call
To understand your situation
One Office Visit
To review and sign your will.
One Flat Fee
To have peace of mind knowing the kids are all right.
Our Wills & Estate Lawyers are Here For YoU
Start With your Appointment. Book online quick and easy.
The estate lawyers at Teryl Scott Lawyers Inc. need to know the following in order to prepare your documents:
- Who will be the executor and alternate executor of your will that is, who will take over financially for you when you die?
- Who are you gifting your assets to?
And if you have children:
- Who will be the guardian of your children in terms of their day-to-day care?
- Who is the trustee, that is who manages your children’s inheritance while they are minors?
- How old would you like your children to be when the trust expires and they start to manage their inheritance independently?
Meet Your Estate Lawyer In Halifax
To get started, book your first appointment online with senior legal counsel, Lisa Teryl. We're here to listen to your concerns and to execute your last wishes.
Wills and Estate Planning in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Here are some of our most frequently asked questions about Wills and Estate planning:
One of the goals of estate planning is to create a Will which acts as a plan to identify the guardian of your children and how assets and wealth are distributed. A Will also clarifies that debts must be paid before the gifts are released.
A Will must meet specific drafting and signing requirements in order to be legal. Therefore, it should be done with a lawyer to ensure its validity and to ensure your wishes cannot be overturned.
The benefits of using an estate planning lawyer may include:
- reducing probate fees
- ensuring a valid Will
- ensuring your children are emotionally and financially taken care of upon your death according to your wishes.
An estate planning lawyer typically prepares three documents: a Will, a Power of Attorney and a Personal Directive. These documents appoint someone to step into your position if you are unable or unwilling to respond.
A Will appoints a legal representative after death. A Power of Attorney appoints an alternate financial decision maker to act for you while you are living. A Living Will/Personal Directive appoints someone to make your medical decisions if you cannot make them yourself.
A Wills and Estate lawyer must file extra court paperwork (i.e., an “application”) in probate court to appoint a person to handle the estate. These applications typically cost between $2,000 and $3,500.
An executor (personal representative) is an individual appointed to carry out the instructions in your Will. Their power takes effect immediately upon your death.
They are responsible for implementing your Will. They ensure the payment of debts and then transfer your assets to the beneficiaries.
After death, a Will needs to be submitted for probate, particularly when financial institutions like banks or investment companies are involved. These companies typically require legal recognition from a court that they can release funds to the executor/personal representative named in the Will.
If there is no Will, an administrator must be appointed through probate court to distribute your assets and pay your debts. Asking the court to appoint an administrator (executor) can cost in the range of an extra $2500.
How Estate Planning and Will Lawyers Help
Estate planning lawyers do more than just create Wills. Our lawyers can provide guidance on who is the best type of person to be your medical proxy. They also provide suggestions on who are the best types of family members or friends to appoint as a trustee of your children’s trust. They can also make suggestions on who typically receives the “rest and residue” of your estate and how to minimize probate fees.
Estate planning is not only important for naming beneficiaries upon your death, but an estate lawyer also creates documents such as a Power of Attorney. This document gives someone authority to manage your finances if you are absent, ill, or incapacitated.
A Power of Attorney allows someone to conduct your financial affairs during your absence. If you needed to sell your house, for example, while traveling, your Power of Attorney could sign the deed for you. The document is a type of trust, however, so it can never be used to personally benefit the person given the power without consent of the person who granted the power.
Our estate lawyers can help you draft an Enduring Power of Attorney which legally designates someone to handle your financial affairs while you are living. Its power expires upon your death, and then the executor named in your Will takes over.
If you do not have a power of attorney and you were incapacitated, a lawyer would have to submit a guardianship application to the court.
The application typically costs $5000 and this is when there is no dispute within your family about who should be appointed guardian. The Power of Attorney states who you want to conduct your financial affairs and avoids the cost of the guardianship application.
A Personal Directive legally designates someone to make medical and personal care decisions on your behalf. Before the Personal Directives Act was created in Nova Scotia, this document used to be called a Living Will. The Personal Directive can only be used by your medical proxy (substitute decision-maker) when you are not mentally capable of making these decisions yourself.
You can also use a Personal Directive to provide detailed instructions about your medical care in a particular situation. For example, whether you wish to have your life prolonged and under what circumstances.
How to Write a Will Without an Estate Lawyer
Some try to write a Will without an estate lawyer, but it is NOT recommended. Wills are not just complicated to write, they are challenging to sign in a way that ensures they are valid under the Wills Act.
You also need a lawyer or commissioner of oaths to sign the affidavit of execution. An Affidavit of Execution documents that your witnesses actually witnessed your signature and initials.
We do NOT recommend drafting your own Will. The biggest risk in writing your own Will is that it won’t be considered a valid Will. An incomplete or incorrectly executed and witnessed Will is the same as having no Will.
An invalid Will will not take care of your children or your assets according as you wish. An invalid Will can lead to in-fighting among family members.
Estate Lawyer Fees
Client Reviews
I recently had my will updated along with my power of attorney and a medical directive. The process was very simple as I set up a phone consultation with my lawyer,... read more
Barry JohnsonApril 20, 2022
Lisa has my highest respect with her knowledge of employment law. I would without hesitation, recommend her service! Thank You again, Lisa.
Bill SullivanMarch 4, 2022
Lisa is extremely knowledgeable, professional and personable. She made the entire process as painless as possible and I felt very supported throughout. I would highly recommend Lisa’s services.
Myra DavisOctober 19, 2021
Other Resources
For more information on estate planning, the Canadian government has helpful resources.
Contact us for any specific questions you may have.