Make-A-Will Week in BC, October 3-9 2021. Wills Resources Guide: http://bit.ly/CLBCwills.

Make-A-Will Week 2021

Community posts

This week (October 3-9) is Make-a-Will Week in British Columbia. The provincial government designates the week to encourage everyone to write their will or update an existing one.

Why do I need a will? Why should I make one?

A will is a legal document that leaves instructions about what you want to be done with everything you own after your death. If you die without a will, your property will be divided according to the law in BC. It could make things more difficult for your loved ones.

I want to make a will. What should I do?

You could start with reading any of the free resources available for British Columbians. Go to the Courthouse Libraries BC website for a complete list of resources and services prepared for various audiences: http://bit.ly/clbcwills. At the Wills & Personal Planning Resources page, you could also find information about personal planning documents, such as Representation Agreements and Enduring Power of Attorney.

What’s new?

Remote witnessing of will signing has been a permanent part of BC law since 2020. Here’s what the provincial government says about what’s coming soon:

“Starting December 1, 2021 changes will also give electronic wills the same recognition as physical wills. Wills soon will be able to be signed and stored electronically. While all formats of electronic will are acceptable, people are strongly encouraged to save their freshly made wills in PDF format, to make the probate process as easy as possible for their executor.”

Make a Will week, Province of British Columbia.

Printable handouts

For a quick overview, this one-pager for everyone (PDF) comes in handy. The handout is also available for public librarians & community helpers (PDF), and legal professionals (PDF). Feel free to print and distribute these handouts, but please highlight the short URL that directs back to the Wills & Personal Planning Resources page: http://bit.ly/CLBCwills.

What events are available?

Below are non-profit organizations holding free or low-cost events to help you understand various topics around wills and personal planning.

Nidus

  • Nidus is currently the only community-based resource in Canada devoted to personal planning. This organization also operates a centralized Registry for personal planning documents in partnership with Juricert Inc. of the Law Society of British Columbia.
  • Free online presentations on personal planning are available throughout October and November. 

People’s Law School

Plan Institute

  • Plan Institute works to improve the lives of people with disabilities by collaborating on community-based projects, offering a suite of learning initiatives, and advocating for policy reform.
  • Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning workshops are available throughout the year for $25 per person.

Want to share the Wills & Personal Planning Resources page? Use this short redirect URL: http://bit.ly/CLBCwills.

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October 2021 Events

Events

Bookmark this post! It will be updated as more events are announced. You can also get frequent updates via our Twitter. Have a suggestion? Email us.

Educating & Helping the Public

Free or low cost events for the general public to understand and use the law. Follow the links to see cost & registration info. All times in Pacific Time unless stated otherwise. See disclaimer
Oct 1-3 | Oct 4-10 | Oct 11-17 | Oct 18-24 | Oct 25-31
Looking for events for intermediaries? Jump to the next section.

October 4-10, 2021

  • Making a Will in BC: Town Hall Edition (Webinar)
    by People’s Law School
    • What: Are your questions about wills holding you back from making or updating yours? Maybe you have questions about how to pick an executor. Maybe you and your partner can’t agree on who will care for your children if the unthinkable happens. Maybe you’re worried about the cost and want to know if a DIY will kit is right for you. If you want answers to your questions, you’ll want to tune in to this free webinar.
    • When: Tuesday, October 5th, 2021 Noon to 1:00 PM
    • Cost: Free
  • Nidus Personal Planning Events (Webinars)
    by Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre and Registry
    • What: Choose to plan. Getting your affairs in order gives you peace of mind and takes the burden off family and friends. It’s easy when you know the steps to take. October is Personal Planning Month, and Nidus has a series of webinars to choose from.
    • When: Click to view the list of webinars.
    • Cost: Free
  • Access to Environmental Justice: How West Coast Environmental Law can help (Webinar)
    by West Coast Environmental Law
    • What: Are you impacted by an environmental issue, and unsure about how it interacts with the law? Are you looking for legal support to address threats to land, air or water in your territory? Join this 1-hour webinar to learn more about WCEL’s free legal services, and the support available to you through their network of dedicated environmental lawyers across the province.
    • When: Wednesday, October 6th, 2021 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
    • Cost: Free

October 11-17, 2021

  • Nidus Personal Planning Events (Webinars)
    by Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre and Registry
    • What: Choose to plan. Getting your affairs in order gives you peace of mind and takes the burden off family and friends. It’s easy when you know the steps to take. October is Personal Planning Month, and Nidus has a series of webinars to choose from.
    • When: Click to view the list of webinars.
    • Cost: Free
  • Digital Literacy: Types of Devices and Accessing the BC Vaccine Cards (Webinar)
    by Seniors First BC
    • What: This 60-minute workshop provides an overview of common devices, some useful tools and definitions when browsing online, and information about how to access the BC Vaccine Cards using these devices. This is the first part of a 4-month digital literacy webinar series
    • When: Thursday, October 14th, 2021 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
    • Cost: Free

October 18-24, 2021

  • Nidus Personal Planning Events (Webinars)
    by Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre and Registry
    • What: Choose to plan. Getting your affairs in order gives you peace of mind and takes the burden off family and friends. It’s easy when you know the steps to take. October is Personal Planning Month, and Nidus has a series of webinars to choose from.
    • When: Click to view the list of webinars.
    • Cost: Free
  • Supernatural beings and Sacred Places (Webinar)
    by Centre for Law and the Environment UBC; UBC Sustainability Initiative; Centre for Democratic and Environmental Rights
    • What: Panelists will speak to Indigenous peoples’ efforts to enact or revitalize laws that respect and protect the ancestors and supernatural beings embodied in sacred places in their territories.
    • When: Monday, October 18th, 2021 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
    • Cost: Free
  • RDSP Information Session Level 2 (Webinar)
    by Plan Institute
    • What: Advanced RDSP workshop for those who already have an RDSP or are deciding where to open their RDSP and want to deepen their knowledge and learn how to maximize growth. This workshop includes more complicated financial information and attendees should already understand RDSP basics and review our glossary of terms before attending this workshop.
    • When: Tuesday, October 19th, 2021 7:00 PM to 8:45 PM
    • Cost: Free
  • Ask an Expert – The Registered Disability Savings Plan (Webinar)
    by Plan Institute
    • What: October is RDSP Awareness Month, and we want everyone to be talking about the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)! Join us to learn more about the RDSP and ask any questions that you have.
    • When: Wednesday, October 20th, 2021 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
    • Cost: Free

October 25-31, 2021

  • Legal Lunch and Learn: Unions 101 (Webinar)
    by Pacific Legal Education and Outreach Society (PLEO)
    • What: In an age of precarity, many workers are looking to secure their livelihoods. Organizing a union is one way to do this. In this session, join Janna Crown, Associate at Moore Edgar Lyster LLP to demystify what a union is and to explore the potential impacts, benefits, and drawbacks of unionizing at non-profits.
    • When: Monday, October 25th, 2021 Noon to 1:00 PM
    • Cost: Free
  • Elder Abuse: What is it? How do we deal with it? (Webinar)
    by Seniors First BC
    • What: This workshop addresses the correlation between social isolation and abuse of older adults, types of abuse and people involved, and strategies to deal with abuse. We discuss the importance of staying connected to others through brainstorming community resources, and viewing a short video depicting a fictional story of social isolation and elder abuse.
    • When: Tuesday, October 26th, 2021 1:00 PM 2:00 PM
    • Cost: Free
  • Legal Lunch and Learn: Societies Act Amendments (Webinar)
    by Pacific Legal Education and Outreach Society (PLEO)
    • What: You may have heard of the amendment to the BC Societies Act introduced on October 6, 2021. The changes apply to many areas of non-profit operations, including bylaws, record keeping, remuneration, and more.
    • When: Wednesday, October 27th, 2021 Noon to 1:00 PM
    • Cost: Free
  • Nidus Personal Planning Events (Webinars)
    by Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre and Registry
    • What: Choose to plan. Getting your affairs in order gives you peace of mind and takes the burden off family and friends. It’s easy when you know the steps to take. October is Personal Planning Month, and Nidus has a series of webinars to choose from.
    • When: Click to view the list of webinars.
    • Cost: Free
  • Human Rights in the Workplace: An Overview for Employers (Webinar)
    by BC Human Rights Clinic and CLAS
    • What: This full-day interactive workshop is designed to assist employers, business owners, managers, human resources professionals, union leaders and members of the public to understand their rights and responsibilities under human rights law.
    • When: Thursday, October 28th, 2021 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
    • Cost: $200

Learning & Community Building

Free or low cost professional development events for intermediaries, the people providing information and support to members of the public in their interactions with the legal system. We only include those that are open to non-lawyers. Also, events by organizations who help British Columbians in their interactions with the legal system. All times in Pacific Time unless stated otherwise. See disclaimer.
Oct 1-3 | Oct 4-10 | Oct 11-17 | Oct 18-24 | Oct 25-31
Looking for public legal education events? Go back to the beginning

October 11-17, 2021

  • 2021 BC Transparency and Privacy (Webinar)
    by BC FIPA
    • What: This session will focus on considerations of privacy and access to information in the current context and how the global pandemic continues to impact expectations and practices.
    • When: Wednesday, October 13th, 2021 Noon to 1:00 PM
    • Cost: Free
  • Learn how to write an EI Appeal (Virtual info session)
    by Social Security Tribunal of Canada
    • What: Written submissions are an important part of prepping for an EI appeal. Want to learn how to write them? Join our free, virtual info session. Space is limited to ensure meaningful participation. Contact us by Oct 5 to register.
    • When: Wed, Oct 13, 1:30–3:30 EST
    • Cost: Free

October 25-31, 2021

  • Duty Counsel Day (National Virtual Event)
    by Association of Legal Aid Plans
    • What: Canadians benefit from outstanding social services. We’re all familiar with our public health care, but few know about our legal services. We made a day to change that. Duty Counsel are legal aid lawyers who give free, on-the-spot legal advice in family, criminal and immigration cases for people living in Canada. On October 27, learn about Duty Counsel and tell your fellow Canadians. The power to navigate the justice system is in your hands.
    • When: Wed, October 27, 2021, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM PDT
    • Cost: Free
  • Advancing Community-Based Access to Justice (Webinar)
    by Action Committee on Access to Justice
    • What: This session will explore the critical work done by community-based organizations that support and assist people with their housing, immigration, health care, employment and other problems with legal dimensions.
    • When: Thursday, October 28th, 2021 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
    • Cost: Free
  • Guidelines for Better Legal Workshops: Best Practices for Effective PLE Presentations (Webinar)
    by Ontario Education Network (OJEN) and Public Legal Education Association of Canada (PLEAC)
    • What: In this session, experienced PLE professionals from the Ontario Justice Education Network will walk through their Guidelines for Better Legal Workshops, adding practical advice, teaching strategies, useful resources and handouts, and other insights.
    • When: Thursday, October 28th, 2021 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
    • Cost: Free

Disclaimer: These events are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Clicklaw team of any of the products or services of the organizations. Contact the external site for questions regarding their events.

Stay informed:

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