Independent/Dependent Contractors, Employees: What’s the Difference?
Independent Contractor Although independent contractors often enter into a contract for services, this is not an employment contract and does not create an employer-employee relationship. Instead, an independent contractor is governed by a business relationship, the terms of which will usually be set out in a specific contract between the parties. This means that independent... Read More
Alberta Estate Beneficiaries: Who Do I Put in My Will?
Creating an Estate plan and instructing your Wills & Estates lawyer to prepare your Will requires you to make a number of decisions. While most lawyers will send you an Estate planning questionnaire to guide the process, the decision-making responsibility ultimately rests on your shoulders. You’ll need to decide who you’ll appoint as your Estate’s... Read More
Types of Wills in Alberta
You may have heard of a “living Will”, “Last Will & Testament”, or simply a “Will”. Are there differences between these documents? The short answer is yes, there are different types of Wills in Alberta. However, spoiler alert, in most cases a formal Will is the most common and suitable option for the average person.... Read More
10 Reasons to Choose West Legal as your Calgary Probate Lawyer
Serving as an Estate’s Executor, or Personal Representative, isn’t always an easy task. In order to avoid the stress, inconvenience, and hassle that may come with acting as an Estate’s Executor, it’s essential that you take a team approach to Estate administration. A key aspect of the team approach to Estate administration is hiring a... Read More
10 Most Common Mistakes Executors Make
Acting as an Estate Executor, or Personal Representative, is a challenging role that comes with significant responsibility. It’s also an important task. While most people don’t ‘enjoy’ acting as an Estate Executor, and while Executors are entitled to financial compensation in many cases, the true reward of Executorship is that you’re providing a valuable service... Read More
Alberta Estate Administration: Who’s Involved?
As an Estate Executor (Personal Representative) in Alberta, you might sometimes feel as though you’re being pulled in dozens of different directions. Beneficiaries will want their shares of the Estate as soon as possible. Family members who were left out of the Will may contact you wondering why. Your probate lawyer may ask you to... Read More
Executor (Personal Representative) Duties in Alberta
If you’ve ever acted as an Estate Executor, or Personal Representative, before, you’ll know that there is considerable responsibility and work involved in the Estate administration process. If you’re a first-time Executor, it can be daunting to know where to start. To help, we’ve put together this checklist of Alberta Executor duties. While it’s not... Read More
Alberta Estate Executor Compensation Entitlements
Anyone who has been an Estate Executor, or Personal Representative, can attest to the fact that there’s a lot of work involved in administering an Estate. Even with the assistance of a skilled probate lawyer and an experienced tax accountant, an Executor still has many responsibilities to the Estate that are often time-consuming and challenging.... Read More
[Top 10 Reasons] You Should Hire a Lawyer for Probate
You’ve probably heard the figure-of-speech ‘pennywise, pound-foolish’ used before to describe financial habits that realize small cost savings while simultaneously incurring larger ones. For example, someone may describe it as pennywise, pound-foolish to spend $2,500.00 on car repairs for a vehicle that is only worth $2,000.00. Another example of pennywise, pound-foolish behaviour is driving to... Read More
How Do I Choose the Right Probate Lawyer?
If a loved one or acquaintance recently passed away and the deceased’s last Will names you as the Estate’s Executor, you may be unsure where to start. Or, maybe the deceased didn’t leave a Will and you’re wondering whether you’re entitled by law to act as the Estate’s Executor. In either case, it’s best that... Read More