ESTATE PLANNING: WILLS & POWER OF ATTORNEY
Feel Confident About
Your Estate Affairs With
WSK Law
- Serving Locations
Kitchener. Waterloo. Cambridge
- Speak With Us
ESTATE PLANNING: WILLS & POWER OF ATTORNEY
Feel Confident About Your Estate Affairs With
WSK Law
- Serving Locations
Kitchener. Waterloo. Cambridge
- Speak With Us
Professional and Experienced Estate Planning
Trust Us To Help Plan Your Estate
No matter your financial means, it’s important that you plan your future estate. A poorly planned estate can divide families during an already difficult time. On the other hand, a well planned estate can provide a tax efficient means of protecting assets, and giving your loved ones the resources they need to become independent and flourish.
WSK Law has worked hard to become recognized as a quality provider of legal services in the areas of Estate Planning and Estate Administration. Our expertise in navigating estate law will help you prepare the best plan to provide for and protect your loved ones.
Powers Of Attorney
These documents can provide peace of mind and ensure that your wishes are respected if you are unable to make decisions for yourself.
Wills
Creating a Will can help ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes and can provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Professional and Experienced Estate Planning
Trust Us To Help Plan Your Estate
No matter your financial means, it’s important that you plan your future estate. A poorly planned estate can divide families during an already difficult time. On the other hand, a well planned estate can provide a tax efficient means of protecting assets, and giving your loved ones the resources they need to become independent and flourish.
WSK Law has worked hard to become recognized as a quality provider of legal services in the areas of Estate Planning and Estate Administration. Our expertise in navigating estate law will help you prepare the best plan to provide for and protect your loved ones.
Powers Of Attorney
These documents can provide peace of mind and ensure that your wishes are respected if you are unable to make decisions for yourself.
Wills
Creating a Will can help ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes and can provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Adam Szymura
Proponents Of Estate Planning
Estate Planning: Wills And Powers Of Attorney
There is one simple question at the heart of estate planning – how will decisions be made when you’re no longer able to make such decisions? Estate planning addresses this question both for when you’re alive and able, and when you’re either incapable or have passed away. A proper estate plan addresses these issues using a Will and Powers of Attorney.
Proponents Of Estate Planning
Estate Planning: Wills And Powers Of Attorney
There is one simple question at the heart of estate planning – how will decisions be made when you’re no longer able to make such decisions? Estate planning addresses this question both for when you’re alive and able, and when you’re either incapable or have passed away. A proper estate plan addresses these issues using a Will and Powers of Attorney.
Powers Of Attorney
Under normal circumstances, we make our own decisions and the question of what our wishes are is not an issue. Unfortunately, accidents, illness, or disease may render us incapable of making these decisions for ourselves. A Power of Attorney is a means by which we can ensure that our wishes are met in such a situation. A Power of Attorney is a contract which appoints or authorizes the person named therein (your attorney) to act on your behalf and with your full authority when you may be unable to do so, such as during a time of legal incapacity. A Power of Attorney is valid only during your lifetime and ceases to be valid upon your death.
The Substitute Decisions Act recognizes two different Continuing Powers of Attorney: Power of Attorney for Property (finances) and Power of Attorney for Personal Care.
The person making a Continuing Power of Attorney for Property may give his or her attorney the authority to make any type of decision related to the person’s property (finances) that the person can make themselves, except to make a Will. Conditions or limits can be imposed or it can be all encompassing. The person must be at least 18 years old and mentally competent.
The person making a Continuing Power of Attorney for Personal Care authorizes his or her attorney to make decisions for health care, nutrition, shelter, clothing, hygiene or safety if the person is incapable of making decisions on his or her own. This power includes the right of the attorney to give or refuse consent to medical treatment on the person’s behalf. The person must be at least 16 years old and mentally competent.
Powers of Attorney are important legal documents and should be prepared after careful consideration and legal advice. The cost of preparing Powers of Attorney are greatly exceeded by the peace of mind knowing that someone you trust will make decisions for you and be able to deal with your business affairs during a period of incapacity.
Wills
The other half of estate law addresses the issue of making our wishes known once we have passed away. When that inevitable day happens, we all leave behind an estate. A Will is a written document which provides for the disposition of your estate. It allows you to determine how your estate will be divided upon your death. This ensures that the people you love will be able to benefit from your estate. Good estate planning, however, is more than just writing a Will. It requires careful thought about who will execute the Will, decisions you will ask your executor to make and how to deal with events you may not have anticipated would arise.
What Happens If I Don't Have A Will?
A well planned estate ensures that once we pass away, the difficult decisions will have already been made. But what happens without a Will? Without a Will:
Your property will be divided amongst immediate family members in specified proportions as set out by law. These proportions are subject to the claims of dependents who may not be adequately provided for in the statutory scheme and subject to the claim of a surviving spouse under the Family Law Act.
Minor children will receive their share of your estate at the age of eighteen, whereas many people provide in their Will that their children or grandchildren should not receive their share until a later age, such as twenty-one or twenty-five.
Distribution of your estate is likely to be slower and more expensive if there is no Will.
Your default distribution may not meet the needs of your family.
The division and method of distribution may not be what you intended, may lead to unintended consequences, such as paying avoidable tax, merger of land, and leading a disabled family member to lose their disability tax benefits.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Wills are important legal documents and should be prepared after careful consideration with expert legal advice.
Powers Of Attorney
Under normal circumstances, we make our own decisions and the question of what our wishes are is not an issue. Unfortunately, accidents, illness, or disease may render us incapable of making these decisions for ourselves. A Power of Attorney is a means by which we can ensure that our wishes are met in such a situation. A Power of Attorney is a contract which appoints or authorizes the person named therein (your attorney) to act on your behalf and with your full authority when you may be unable to do so, such as during a time of legal incapacity. A Power of Attorney is valid only during your lifetime and ceases to be valid upon your death.
The Substitute Decisions Act recognizes two different Continuing Powers of Attorney: Power of Attorney for Property (finances) and Power of Attorney for Personal Care.
The person making a Continuing Power of Attorney for Property may give his or her attorney the authority to make any type of decision related to the person’s property (finances) that the person can make themselves, except to make a Will. Conditions or limits can be imposed or it can be all encompassing. The person must be at least 18 years old and mentally competent.
The person making a Continuing Power of Attorney for Personal Care authorizes his or her attorney to make decisions for health care, nutrition, shelter, clothing, hygiene or safety if the person is incapable of making decisions on his or her own. This power includes the right of the attorney to give or refuse consent to medical treatment on the person’s behalf. The person must be at least 16 years old and mentally competent.
Powers of Attorney are important legal documents and should be prepared after careful consideration and legal advice. The cost of preparing Powers of Attorney are greatly exceeded by the peace of mind knowing that someone you trust will make decisions for you and be able to deal with your business affairs during a period of incapacity.
Wills
The other half of estate law addresses the issue of making our wishes known once we have passed away. When that inevitable day happens, we all leave behind an estate. A Will is a written document which provides for the disposition of your estate. It allows you to determine how your estate will be divided upon your death. This ensures that the people you love will be able to benefit from your estate. Good estate planning, however, is more than just writing a Will. It requires careful thought about who will execute the Will, decisions you will ask your executor to make and how to deal with events you may not have anticipated would arise.
What Happens If I Don't Have A Will?
A well planned estate ensures that once we pass away, the difficult decisions will have already been made. But what happens without a Will? Without a Will:
i.
Your property will be divided amongst immediate family members in specified proportions as set out by law. These proportions are subject to the claims of dependents who may not be adequately provided for in the statutory scheme and subject to the claim of a surviving spouse under the Family Law Act.
Minor children will receive their share of your estate at the age of eighteen, whereas many people provide in their Will that their children or grandchildren should not receive their share until a later age, such as twenty-one or twenty-five.
Distribution of your estate is likely to be slower and more expensive if there is no Will.
Your default distribution may not meet the needs of your family.
The division and method of distribution may not be what you intended, may lead to unintended consequences, such as paying avoidable tax, merger of land, and leading a disabled family member to lose their disability tax benefits.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Wills are important legal documents and should be prepared after careful consideration with expert legal advice.
Wills & Power Of Attorney
Meet Our Legal Team
Lukasz Szymura
Managing Partner
Matthew T. Kelly
Partner
Adam Szymura
Partner
Josephina Sabo
Associate
Wills & Power Of Attorney
Meet Our Legal Team
Lukasz Szymura
Managing Partner
Matthew T. Kelly
Partner
Adam Szymura
Partner
Josephina Sabo
Associate
We Look At The Law Differently
What Our Client's Say
We Look At The Law Differently
What Our Client's Say
Qualified Legal Attorneys
WSK Law has the experience and expert advice you need to help you plan your estate. We take a personalized approach to each client's situation and work closely with you to develop an estate plan that will meet your unique needs and goals.
Over 20 Years of Experience
The lawyers at WSK Law have the experience to help you plan ahead for what will be a difficult time for your family. Save them headaches and heartaches by enlisting our services at WSK Law.
Our Awards and Certificates
2021 Platinum Cambridge Readers Choice Award - Adam Szymura
Best Law firm: 2021 Gold – WSK Law
Qualified Legal Attorneys
WSK Law has the experience and expert advice you need to help you plan your estate. We take a personalized approach to each client's situation and work closely with you to develop an estate plan that will meet your unique needs and goals.
Over 20 Years of Experience
The lawyers at WSK Law have the experience to help you plan ahead for what will be a difficult time for your family. Save them headaches and heartaches by enlisting our services at WSK Law.
Our Awards and Certificates
2021 Platinum Cambridge Readers Choice Award - Adam Szymura
Best Law firm: 2021 Gold – WSK Law
