Digital wills coming to B.C.

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The COVID-19 pandemic has changed all of our lives, and in B.C., it’s also changing how we plan for death.

As of Dec. 1, people in this province can electronically sign, virtually witness, and store their will online. B.C. is the first province in Canada to legislate the digital creation of a will.

Erin Bury, CEO of Willful, says up until December, there are still more physical and cost barriers to creating a will.

“Up until Dec. 1, a will has to be printed on paper and signed with a physical pen, which isn’t the most convenient, since we live in a digital world,” she said.

The traditional process involves sitting down with witness in-person, which has added challenges during the pandemic.

“Bill 21 … highlighted that inefficiency of paper-based, in-person processes,” Bury added, calling B.C. an “innovator.”

Related article: Preparing a will: Not doing your research could mean headaches for loved ones

Bury says there are a lot of reasons for putting off the creation of a will, including not wanting to think about your own mortality.

“It’s also the cost, convenience, and complexity. It’s expensive to create a will with a traditional lawyer. It’s an in-person process, typically, that is very inconvenient. And it can seem overwhelming. People really aren’t sure what’s involved in the process because we don’t really learn a lot about estate planning and wills, growing up,” she said.

She says 58 per cent of people in B.C. haven’t yet created a will.

“COVID reminded us all that the unexpected can happen at any time. It seems like, ‘I don’t need to create a will. I’m going to live to be 100.’ I hope you all do. But you just never know when an emergency is going to happen,” Bury said.

A will essentially outlines who will act on your behalf when you die, where your assets will go, and who will look after any children you have.

To mark Make A Will Week, Bury encourages you to plan for the unexpected and be proactive in creating one, even if it’s tough to think about.

“Nobody likes to contemplate their own mortality, even if we know that we’re rationally going to pass away at some point. We all avoid thinking about it as much as possible,” she said, adding having a will “puts you in the driver seat” and ensures you have a voice after you pass.

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