Did you know that on March 26, 2020, the Province of Saskatchewan enacted emergency regulations to The Powers of Attorney Act, 2002, which now allow the electronic witnessing for powers of attorney?  This change means that you are now able to meet with your lawyer via videoconferencing (your lawyer must be able to see and hear you) to ensure that you have this important estate planning document in place. 

In the event that you are incapacitated (by COVID-19 or other reasons), a power of attorney will allow the person of your choosing to manage your affairs (pay your bills, etc.).  In the absence of a power of attorney, your family will be forced to apply for an order of adult guardianship over your affairs, which can take months to get into place and upwards of $2,500 or more in legal costs.  A power of attorney, by comparison, starts at $200 in legal fees (for one person).

Please contact one of our lawyers in our Wills & Estates group to discuss putting a power of attorney in place as soon as possible. 

About the Author:

Nikki is a partner in the Saskatoon office where she assists numerous clients with finance, commercial land transactions and general business matters.

About the Wills & Estates Group:

McKercher’s Wills and Estate Planning lawyers provide estate planning advice to individuals and business owners. We prepare a variety of estate planning documents including Wills, Power of Attorney and Family Trusts. Our lawyers also represent estates and assist executors and administrators with the administration and litigation of estates, as well as preparing applications for adult guardianship. Our group, led by Nikki A. Rudachyk, consists of Michael T. Petrescue, Matthew A. Wiens, Paige E. Van de Sype, Lorne R. Fagnan, and David J. Ukrainetz from our Saskatoon office, and David J. Bishop and Ryan O. Malley from our Regina office.

Our clients require a team dedicated to their changing needs with the depth of experience in all aspects of estate and estate planning. We provide trusted, confidential advice for both corporate and private clients.

About McKercher LLP:

McKercher LLP is one of Saskatchewan’s largest, most established law firms, with offices in Saskatoon and Regina. Our deep roots and client-first philosophy have helped our firm to rank in the top 5 in Saskatchewan by Canadian Lawyer magazine (2019/20). Integrity, experience, and capacity provide innovative solutions for our clients’ diverse legal issues and complex business transactions.

This post is for information purposes only and should not be taken as legal opinions on any specific facts or circumstances.  Counsel should be consulted concerning your own situation and any specific legal questions you may have.

For more information and resources regarding COVID-19 visit www.mckercher.ca/covid-19