Executor Guide for British Columbia

Welcome to the Executor Guide for BC, a free public resource provided by Heritage Trust Company. This is a living document, updated to December of 2017, that will evolve with British Columbia's law on estate planning and estate administration.

The Estate and Trust Guide for BC is intended as a resource only and not as legal advice. It has been broken up into various sections so that you can easily navigate to the information that is relevant to your specific legal issue.

CONTENTS

Chapter

1. Introduction

• Bearing Witness to Clients' Journeys · Who Should Read This Wikibook · How to Use This Wikibook · Resources · Online Resources

2. Dealing with Grief and Loss

• Final Estate Planning · Difficult Conversations · Resources · Online and Phone Resources · Books · Legislation · Regulation and Forms

3. Brief Legal Overview

• Wills, Estates and Succession Act · Transition · New Probate Rules · Trusts · Inter Vivos Trust · Testamentary Trust · Constructive Trust · Legal Basis of Constructive Trust · Dependants’ Relief · Family Compensation Act · Estate Litigation · Limitation Periods · Fiduciary Duty · Standard of Care · Devolution of Assets at Death · Assets that Pass to Personal Representative by Will or Intestacy · Assets that Do Not Pass to Personal Representative · Joint Tenancies · Life Insurance · Pensions and Registered Plans · Others · Resources · Online Resources · Legislation · Regulation and Forms

4. As Death Approaches

• Who's in Charge before Death? · Temporary Substitute Decision Maker (TSDM) · Committee · Representation Agreements · Advance Directive · A Representation Agreement and an Advance Directive · Enduring Power of Attorney · Medical Assistance in Dying · Eligibility · Availability · Resources · Online Resources · Legislation · Regulation and Forms

5. After Death

• Who's in Charge After Death? · Identification of Personal Representative · Executor · Administrator · Grant of administration without will annexed · Grant of administration with will annexed · Co-Executors and Co-Administrators · Agent for Executor · Public Guardian and Trustee · Deciding Whether to Act · Duties of a Representative · Renunciation · Reserving the Right to Apply for Probate · Get Organized · Flowchart · Checklist · Files and Record Keeping · Immediate Tasks After Death · Contacting Family and Friends · Organ Donation · Autopsy · Choose a Funeral Director · Medical Certificate of Death and Death Certificate · Burial or Cremation · Writing the Death Notice or Obituary · Funerals and Memorial Services · Payment of Funeral Service Costs and Other Immediate Bills · Secure Property and Valuables · Guardianship of Minors · Pets · Locate Estate Planning Documents · Other Immediate Tasks · Review of Will(s) and Trusts, As Applicable · Wills · Multiple Wills · Inter Vivos Trusts · Alter Ego/Joint Partner · Other Inter Vivos Trusts · Intestacy · Full · Partial · Identification of Beneficiaries · Failure to Notify · Adoption · Inventory of Assets and Liabilities · Content: List of Estate Assets and Liabilities · Form · Valuation of Assets · General Principles · Relevant Date · Using Appraisers · Types of Estate Property · Real Estate · Land Title Act · Spousal Home · Personal Property · Accounts at Banks or Financial Institutions · Investments · Debts and Liabilities · Safety Deposit Boxes · Foreign Assets · Other · Creditors · Types · Liabilities of Estate · Of Deceased · Family Law Claims · Relating to Death · Incurred by Personal Representative · Of a Beneficiary · Claims Against Personal Representative · Statutory · Common Law · Procedures of Personal Representative · Searches · Advertising for Creditors · Defending Estate Against Creditors · Cancellations and Notifications · Claiming Life Insurance, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Death Benefit and Other Benefits · Insurance · Annuities · Canada Pension Plan · Old Age Security · Application for an Estate Grant · Required? · Small Estates · Application for Grant of Probate · Application for Grant of Administration with Will Annexed · Application for Grant of Administration without Will Annexed · Disclosure Statement for Executors and Administrators · Filing the Documents · Proceedings Related to Estate Grants · Steps to Prove a Will in Common Form · Steps to Prove a Will in Solemn Form · Notice of Dispute · Citation · Curing Deficiencies · Rectification of Wills · Application by Personal Representative for Advice and Directions · Removal of an Executor or Trustee · Revocation of an Estate Grant · Probate Fees · Taxes · Role of Personal Representative · Income Tax Act · Filing Obligations · Capital Gains · Clearance Certificate · Non-Resident Beneficiaries · Deceased Taxpayers: Required and Elective Returns · Final T1 Return · Elective Return for Rights or Things · Elective Return for Income from a Trust Plan · Elective Return for Partnership and Proprietorship Income · Prior Years' Returns · Transfer of Assets and Distribution of Estate · Types of Gifts · Life Estate · Failed Gifts · Survivorship and Lapse · Ademption · Invalid for Duress or Undue Influence · Uncertainty · Revocation · Executor’s Year · Accounts · Duty to Account · Time Period · Form · Record Keeping · Approval and Releases · Application for Passing of Accounts · Discharge of Personal Representative · Without Court Order · With Court Order · Remuneration · Personal Representatives and Trustees · Entitlement · Amount · Procedure · Lawyers · Insolvent Estates · Estates of First Nations Persons · Bringing a Foreign Grant into BC · Wills Variation Claims · Closing Matters · Resources · Online Resources · Legislation · Regulation and Forms

6. Terms and Definitions

EDITORS

Nicole Garton