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Estate Planning During the Pandemic

Consultations and signings

We hope to assist you as best as possible with your estate plan as you protect yourself and your loved ones during this public health emergency.

Instructions / consultations

Sharek & Co. is practicing social distancing in order to help flatten the curve. The office is presently closed to the general public (although we are taking some appointments) but estate planning consultations can occur virtually, by phone or video conference. We will send you the relevant questionnaire and information so that you can either fill out and return at your convenience or follow along during the virtual meeting. We will do our best to ensure any virtual consultations run as smoothly as possible.

Signing the document(s)

In person. In appropriate circumstances, we may be willing to meet in person to execute your estate planning documents. We will only do this in circumstances where all meeting parties are symptom-free, and are low-risk individuals at the time of signing. For an in-person meeting, we would bring the document(s) to you at an agreed meeting place, most likely at our office or possibly somewhere outside to ensure we maintain physical distancing as best as possible. Out of abundance of caution, we recommend bringing hand sanitizer and face masks with you to the meeting.

3rd party witnesses

Will: You may sign on your own with at least two (2) witnesses of your choosing, assuming you have people around you who are eligible witnesses and doing so is at low risk. All three individuals must be present together at the time you put pen to paper. We can attend the signing virtually to assist you through the process. However, if we attend virtually, we will not be considered a witness; You will need to have two eligible witnesses in person with you.

Generally, the witness cannot be: a person designated as executor; a beneficiary under the Will; the spouse or adult interdependent partner of an executor or beneficiary. We will discuss your particular circumstances during the consultation and assess the eligibility and nature of witnesses.

Power of Attorney and / or Personal Directive: You may sign on your own with one (1) witness of your choosing, assuming you have a person around you who is an eligible witness and doing so is at low risk. Both you and your witness must be present together at the time you put pen to paper. We can attend the signing virtually to assist you through the process with your provided witness.

The witness to a Power of Attorney or Personal Directive cannot be: your spouse or adult interdependent partner; a person designated as an attorney/agent; the spouse or adult interdependent partner of a person designated as an attorney/agent; a person who signs the document on behalf of you (if applicable); the spouse or adult interdependent partner of a person who signs the document on behalf of you (if applicable).

Fees and Payment

As of April 15, 2020, we are offering a discount on basic estate planning documents to health care practitioners and grocery store employees in Alberta. We will kindly ask that you provide your current AHS identification card, employee card or the like, prior to the provision of estate planning services.

In terms of payment, our office will be sending out requests via email. Alternatively, you may pay over the phone.

Please email us if you have further questions.