2nd Anniversary Column
A recap of two years of writing on the topic of “end of life matters”
Happy second anniversary to me – and to you, my readers! It’s been two years since I dusted off my keyboard after a 3½-year break, with my comeback column hitting print on January 28, 2024.
This time around it’s end-of-life matters, drawn primarily from my practice area, commonly known as “wills and estates”.
I’ve stayed remarkably on topic: only seven columns in 105 have wandered elsewhere. Four were about my previous writing passion: road safety. Two were “all about me” Christmas columns and one was in support of trans kids.
If there’s an end-of-life legal topic you’re interested in, I’ve probably written about it. Let me know if you’d like a link to a searchable archive.
You can also use a free AI platform to help you find columns of interest to you. For example, you could ask Chat, Grok or any other AI platform: “Provide a list, with dates, links and a brief summary, of any columns Paul Hergott has written about disinheriting a child” and you’ll get a reasonably reliable list. Follow up with “Are you sure you got them all” and the list will improve!
Sometimes a topic has given me enough material for a series.
The longest is an 8-column series about avoiding probate, within which there’s a 3-column sub-series about different types of joint tenancy.
There’s a 4-column series about disinheriting a child.
There’s also a 3-column series about undue influence, inspired by a court case where an 84-year-old widow left her million-dollar estate to a male escort.
One of my pet topics is what I refer to as the “blended family problem”, which extends beyond blended families to include couples without children and even old-fashioned non-blended families. There’s a 4-column series as well as 3 others written at different times.
I get a kick out of arming folks with legal information.
I also enjoy providing do-it-yourself guidance, though I try to be careful to always recommend having a proper consultation with a lawyer.
On the do-it-yourself front, I’ve:
- given links to free power of attorney and representation agreement forms,
- explained how to create a very simple, legal will,
- explained ways you can make your own changes to a will,
- walked the reader through removing a deceased spouse’s name from title to a jointly owned home,
- given instructions about handling a modest or insolvent estate, and
- provided a 6-column deep dive (including a 5-column series) on obtaining probate without a lawyer.
My favourite topic has been debunking widely held beliefs about when a will must be updated, including reasons I’ve seen erroneously given by lawyers. For example, moving to BC from another province rarely requires an updated will.
Before I started writing about this subject area, I made a list of potential topics to ensure I’d have enough to write about. I thought I’d have to regularly deviate to other topics that piqued my interest, but as it’s turned out my list of potential topics has grown instead of shrunk.
Even though I have lots of material to work with, I’d love your input! Send me questions or ideas to [email protected], and I’ll consider them for future columns.
Please understand that I’m not taking on new estate/incapacity planning clients, but I am happy to refer folks to excellent lawyers in our community who are. The only work I’m currently taking on is uncontested estate administration (probate) matters.
