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Seniors BC

Legal Resources


Planning conversations between caregivers and the people they care for provide an opportunity for caregivers to gain a better understanding of the care receivers wishes with respect to their personal affairs.
Personal Planning
Personal Planning
Legal Resources & Counselling
Legal Resources & Counselling
Consumer Affairs
Consumer Affairs

 

Personal Planning

Personal Planning

 

Wills & Estate Planning

Wills & Estate Planning

  • The Ministry of the Attorney General provides information on wills, probates, and estates, as well as an explanation of terms used in legal documents, and additional sources of information.

  • The Public Guardian and Trustee of B.C. provides assistance to adults who need support for financial and personal decision making, and to administer the estates of deceased and missing persons where there is no one else able to do so.

For information and assistance for potential/current caregivers on how to consult with friends and family about their care needs, please click here.
For information on making financial decisions, please click here.

 

 

Advance Care Planning (Making Future Health Care Decisions)

On September 1, 2011, advance directives became another legal option for capable adults in B.C. Capable adults can now create advance care plans to make their wishes known for their future health care treatment decisions.

Advance care planning is the process of thinking about, and writing down, your wishes or instructions for future health care treatment in the event you become incapable of deciding for yourself.

Read more about advance care planning, including how to make an advance care plan, name a Representative in a Representation Agreement, or make an advance directive. If you have questions about advance care planning in B.C., review these frequently asked questions or email AdvanceCarePlanningBC@gov.bc.ca.

To download the provincial advance care planning guide and workbook, My Voice: Expressing My wishes for Future Health Care Treatment, click here.

More information for health care providers is available in the B.C. Health Care Providers’ Guide to Consent to Health Care (2011).

 

Making Future Health Care Decisions - Resources

Future Health Care Decisions

  • If a time comes when you are not able to communicate your wishes about the health care you need or want, or may not want, who will decide for you? Advance care planning is about deciding and communicating what kind of care you want in the future while you are capable of making your own decisions. Advance care plans should be written down to ensure they are communicated effectively. Your doctor as well as your family or friends can provide you with support to make an advance care plan. You can also appoint a Representative by making a Representation Agreement to be sure your wishes are acted upon.

  • A planning package to help people residing in the Vancouver Island Health Authority helps you to make end-of-life, emergency, and critical health care decisions in advance.

  • For people residing in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority there is a resource to help answer the questions "should I have an advance directive and what kind should I have?" as well as sources of additional assistance.

  • Fraser Health Authority provides it's residents with a comprehensive resource detailing what Advance Care Planning is, details to be considered, scenario examples, and an e-book how-to guide on making a plan your family.

For Information on discussing your wishes with your family, please click here to go to communication skills.

 

 

 

Representation Agreements & Power of Attorney

Representation Agreements & Power of Attorney

  • The Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre and Registry provides education and assistance to individuals on the delegation of authority for assistance in managing their health, personal care and financial and legal affairs including power of attorney.

  • An information and representation agreement planning booklet to help people who may need support with decision making due to brain injury, stroke, disability, dementia or other condition.

  • The Public Guardian and Trustee of B.C. (PDF 78K) provide an explanation of B.C.'s adult guardianship laws and how they affect health care decision making.

For information on assistance with discussing your wishes with your family, click here

 

 

Legal Resources & Counselling Services

 

Referral Services

  • Lawyer Referral Services provides the name and telephone number of a lawyer who will give a consultation of up to a half-hour for a small charge.

  • The BC Notaries website provides information about the services provided by B.C. notaries as well as a directory of notaries that includes their location and contact information.

 

Free Legal Services

Free Legal Services

  • The Legal Services Society provides lawyer representation, legal advice and information to people of lower incomes throughout the province.

  • The Access Pro Bono Society of British Columbia provides free legal services to people that cannot afford it. Lawyers are available at clinic locations across B.C.

  • The Law Students' Legal Advice Clinics are run by the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland and provide free legal advice and representation.

  • The Law Centre is run by the University of Victoria Faculty of Law and provides advice, assistance and representation to clients who cannot afford a lawyer.

 

Educational Resources

Educational Resources

  • The People's Law School provides free legal education materials and training sessions, about landlord and tenancy, property, labour, and family law. Many of these services are also available in Cantonese, Spanish, Punjabi, Vietnamese, Japanese, Persian, and Mandarin.

  • The Ministry of Health has a list of legislation affecting seniors in B.C.

  • Clicklaw provides legal information, education and help for British Columbians.

 

Consumer Affairs

  • Information on how to identify and avoid common scams (PDF 618K) by the People's Law School.

  • Consumer Protection BC is a not-for-profit corporation that protects consumers and encourages a fair marketplace in British Columbia. Consumer Protection BC offers information about the funeral-services industry, travel agencies, payday lenders, debt-collection firms, home-inspection services, telemarketing and other businesses.