Westcoast Wills and Probate Lawyer

Vancouver | North Vancouver | Burnaby | Squamish

Westcoast Wills

Vancouver | North Vancouver | Burnaby | Squamish
North Vancouver Wills Lawyer

Committeeship

Our committeeship lawyers can apply to court on your behalf for an appointment of committee of estate.  This is most often needed when a person becomes incapacitated and they have not already given a power of attorney over their finances to someone else.  In this case, all bank accounts that are held only in their name are effectively frozen.

If your loved one is in this situation, someone may have to be appointed as their committee of person and estate.  But be forewarned, it is not a simple process:

  • Getting appointed as private committee usually takes 2 – 4 months to achieve.
  • The process usually costs between $5,000 to $10,000 in total, including taxes, government fees, and doctor’s fees.
  • After our lawyers apply for the committeeship, the court may put restrictions on the committee’s access to the patient’s money or require that a bond be placed by the prospective committee to guard against abuse.
  • Every year after being appointed by the Court, the committee may be forced to pay a fee and render their accounts to the Public Guardian and Trustee of BC for their review.

How to Avoid the Committee of Estate Process

If this all sounds like too much and your loved one is already too sick to make a power of attorney, you can let the Public Guardian and Trustee of BC (PGT) take over. The major drawbacks of this option are cost and loss of control. The PGT charges a fee for both starting to act and and an annual fee for continuing to act as committee for a person. Once the PGT starts to act, the family loses control of financial decisions.

If you are still able to sign a power of attorney, the decision is easy. Westcoast Wills can help you set up a power of attorney in advance to avoid the need for a committee of estate order. Still need convincing? See the top 5 reasons to get a power of attorney here.

Next steps:

In all, applying for a committeeship is a tedious process that is easily avoided with advance planning. If your loved one has already lost the requisite capacity to sign a power of attorney or a representation agreement, the experienced lawyers at Westcoast Wills would be pleased to help you obtain an order for committee of person and estate, answering all of your questions along the way.

Contact us to book in with a committee lawyer in Vancouver, North VancouverBurnaby, or Squamish.

Westcoast Wills & Estates

 

604-230-1068

Email: info@westcoastwills.com

Committee applications, committee lawyer, committee of estate

Reviews

  • I've used Westcoast Wills & Estates twice now. Mike first helped me update my will and he also helped me fulfill my role as an executor. He made the whole process as easy as it cou... Read More
  • Our experience with West Coast Wills was excellent. Brandon was professional and made us feel completely at ease. He incorporated everything we wanted into our documents. The pr... Read More
  • We work with Kirsten Wharton for all our legal needs and this firm is definitely top notch. I couldn't recommend them more!
  • Making your Will with an Advanced Health Directive is essential but it need not be difficult. Kirsten Wharton was brilliant and made the process easy and efficient. My previous wil... Read More

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executor advice from a probate lawyer in Vancouver

Westcoast Wills & Estates

 

604-230-1068

Email: info@westcoastwills.com