Estate Planning

You may find yourself having serious thoughts about the future. For example, disease or injury could affect your mind, making it impossible for you to look after yourself or your affairs. If you can’t manage your affairs, who will? Or, if you died, what would happen to your possessions and how would your children be looked after? The law cannot predict the future, but it can help you to prepare for some of the possible situations.

In this section you will find resources about the following legal concerns:

  • Personal Directives: Appointing someone to handle personal decisions.
     
  • Powers of Attorney: Appointing someone to handle financial decisions.
     
  • Wills: Expressing your wishes for after your death.
     
  • Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship: Options for joint decision-making as well as for being appointed by the court to handle the affairs of someone who has not made their own documents .

Find all CPLEA's resources on personal directives, powers of attorney, wills, medical assistance in dying and capacity at: www.cplea.ca/publications/planning-for-the-future/


CPLEA Suggested Resources

Not sure where to begin finding answers to your questions. Get started with our suggested resources. See additional resources below for more information.

Alberta Resources

This website of the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta (CPLEA) focuses on how Canadian law protects and affects older adults. Topic areas covered include elder abuse, planning for the future, personal and family relationships, and various other issues (e.g. consumer, travel).

Related legal topic(s): Consumer protection and fraud, Elder abuse, Family law general resources, Guardianship and trusteeship, Wills and estates

This is a series of publications developed with funding from Employment and Social Development Canada. The multimedia resource package is focused on increasing the knowledge and awareness of how intermediaries can use the law to prevent and reduce elder abuse. (Resources are available in English and French)

Related legal topic(s): Elder abuse, Wills and estates