Estate Administration

Don't underestimate the amount of work involved! Examples of duties include:

1. Locating the will
2. Validating the will (Probated)
3. Funeral arrangements
4. Obtain death certificate
5. Cancelling utilities, services, passports, subscriptions, and the like
6. Guardianship of minors, if applicable
7. Coordinate pet care, if necessary
8. Tabulation of assets and liabilities
9. And much more

*This should not be treated as an official, completed list. Each individual will require unique requirements of the executor.

It's a complex process that verifies the validity of a will after somebody has passed away, whilst also confirming the executor of the will. Institutions that hold assets of the deceased, like banks and credit unions, require a will to be probated before releasing any funds.

It is not recommended to go through the probate process without a lawyer. It's a complex and nit-picky exercise that even frustrates highly-experienced Estate Lawyer professionals. 

When an individual creates a will in BC, they often notify the Wills Registry at the Vital Statistics Agency as to where the will will be stored. If the location of the will is not registered, then obviously this makes the discovery of the will more difficult, but it does not mean that an official will does not exist.

Technically that means we can't know for sure that you're the executor of the will, so the first step will be to apply to the court for a “Grant of Administration without Will Annexed”. And since there is no will, the deceased's Estate will be distributed according to intestacy laws of BC.

Not only is probate necessary, but there are fees that must be paid to the Province of British Columbia. The total fee depends on the valuation of the deceased's estate:

• 0.0% for estates under $25,000
• 0.6% for estates between $25,000 and $50,000
• 1.4% for estates over $50,000