Make A Will Week: 4 Reasons You Want To Make A Will

April 7 to 13, 2019 is "Make a Will Week" in British Columbia, which encourages the public to make a will or bring an existing will up-to-date.

But really, why bother?

1. Your estate probably does not fall the way you assume it does if you die without a will: For example, if you have a spouse and a child under the age of 19 and you die without a will, you may assume your estate passes in full to your spouse. This is not necessarily the case. In fact:
2. • if your child is the child of you and your spouse, your spouse is entitled to the first $300,000 of the value of your estate (after debts paid) and the remainder is split 50/50 between your spouse and child;
   • if your child is your child and not the child of your spouse, your spouse is entitled to the first $150,000 of the value of your estate and the remainder is split 50/50 between your spouse and child;