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ARTICLE · 03 NOVEMBER 2021

BC Courts Validate Will Not Signed Due To COVID-19

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COVID-19 has prevented many people from meeting in person. In a recent case heard by the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the pandemic prevented a woman from meeting with her lawyer...

CanadaFamily and Matrimonial
Ariel Lekas
Ariel Lekas
Alandra Jessup (Articling Student)
Alandra Jessup (Articling Student)
Sam Amelio K.C
Sam Amelio K.C
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COVID-19 has prevented many people from meeting in person. In a recent case heard by the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the pandemic prevented a woman from meeting with her lawyer to have her will executed before she died. But can such wills be validated?

In this case, the answer was yes. The Supreme Court of British Columbia has given effect to the now-deceased testatrix's intentions when the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prevented her from attending an appointment with her lawyer to execute a new will. This decision alters how Courts may treat wills left unsigned due to COVID-19 in British Columbia, and has the potential to affect the treatment of other non-compliant wills nationwide.

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