Doing it yourself

Estate

Prepare a will. If you are in anything other than the simplest family and financial situation, pay a lawyer to do it right.

You should have an enduring power of attorney for financial matters. If you are disabled and unable to look after your own finances, name someone you trust who can and will do the job. You must have a lawyer draft this.

You should also have an enduring power of attorney for personal care. (The name and format of this document varies from province to province.) If you become incompetent to make decisions about where you live and your health care needs, someone needs to make those decisions for you. Appoint someone you trust to do so.

If you do none of these, the provincial government and/or the courts will step in and act in your stead. You may not get what you want and the costs may be high.