Preparing a Will

There are lots of different resources to help you write a will. The links below can help you decide whether you want to hire a lawyer, purchase a will kit, or write a will on your own.


Tools

Free Canadian legal will kit: http://www.truehelpfinancial.com/members/will


Additional Resources

Check out the Hughes Trustco Group Ltd. FAQ Page for Canadian Legal Wills; while it is a private insurance company, the page is a wealth of information! NOTE: we are not suggesting you purchase or don’t purchase any products or services from Hughes Trustco Group Ltd., we simply feel their FAQ page for Canadian Legal Wills is very informative.

In addition, some rules about legal wills in Nova Scotia changed in 2008. Click the following link to read more: http://www.legalinfo.org/news/latest/new-rules-for-ns-wills.html


Contacts

Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia: www.legalinfo.org

Email: lisns@legalinfo.org


FAQ

Do I need a lawyer to help me write my will?

Legally you don’t need to hire a lawyer to help you write your will, but a lawyer can be a big help with the process. If you don’t want to hire a lawyer, or if you can’t afford one, you can purchase a will kit or even write a will yourself. Have another look through the “Writing a Will” section in Chapter 5 to see what you’ll need to include in your will.


Conclusion

As you prepare for parenthood, you are learning how you will take care of your new baby and provide a healthy home environment. What some people don’t know is that during this time it is also important to consider their financial health, too. When people don’t manage their money well, they may have more stress, lower levels of activity and a lower quality of diet. They may also not be able to take advantage of government programs designed to help them save for their baby’s future.

But with some planning, we hope that the information provided in the Guide and this website will help you manage your family’s money, and improve your family’s overall health.

We hope that you can take some time to tell us what you thought of the website and A New Parent’s Guide to Money by filling out a quick survey.

If you have noticed any errors in the guide, please contact: parentsguide2money@stfx.ca
NOTE: This is a contact for corrections to A New Parent’s Guide To Money. It is not meant to address any questions or concerns you might have. There is an opportunity for you to express your likes, dislikes and thoughts in the survey.


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ⁱ Adapted from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, “Maternity leave, Work and Family Provisions in Canadian Collective Agreements”, Government of Canada, http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/lp/spila/wlb/wfp/11Maternity_Leave.shtml, Accessed August 13, 2009 and Service Canada, “Employment Insurance (EI) and maternity, parental and sickness benefits,” Government of Canada, http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/ei/types/special.shtml, Accessed August 13, 2009.

ⁱⁱ Adapted from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, “Maternity leave, Work and Family Provisions in Canadian Collective Agreements”, Government of Canada, http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/lp/spila/wlb/wfp/11Maternity_Leave.shtml, Accessed August 13, 2009 and Service Canada, “Employment Insurance (EI) and maternity, parental and sickness benefits,” Government of Canada, http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/ei/types/special.shtml, Accessed August 13, 2009.

ⁱⁱⁱ Adapted from Chan, J. (2004). Maternity benefits don’t help part-time, self-employed women. Nova News Net, http://novanewsnet.ukings.ca/nova_news_3588_3469.html, Accessed June 5, 2009.

^iv Adapted from Canada’s Universal Child Care Plan, “The Universal Child Care Plan Provides Support…,” Government of Canada, http://www.universalchildcare.ca/eng/support/index.shtml, Accessed August 13, 2009.

^v Adapted from Canada Revenue Agency, “CCTB, Application and Eligibility,” Government of Canada, http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/cctb/fq_qlfyng-eng.html, Accessed August 13, 2009.

^vi Adapted from Canada Revenue Agency, “Canada child benefits, including related federal, provincial and territorial programs”, Government of Canada, http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/t4114/t4114-09e.pdf, Accessed August 13, 2009.

^vii Adapted from Canada Revenue Agency, “Shared Eligibility”, Government of Canada, http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/fq_lgblty-eng.html, Accessed August 13, 2009.

^viii Adapted from Canada Revenue Agency, “CCTB, Application and Eligibility,” Government of Canada, http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/cctb/fq_qlfyng-eng.html, Accessed August 13, 2009.

^ix Adapted from Nova Scotia Community Services, “Child care subsidy”, Government of Nova Scotia, http://www.gov.ns.ca/coms/families/childcare/ChildCareSubsidy.html, Accessed August 13, 2009.

^x Adapted from Canada Revenue Agency, “Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB)”, Government of Canada, http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/wtb/menu-eng.html , Accessed August 13, 2009.

^xi Adapted from Government of Nova Scotia, “Day care regulations”, from the Day Care Act, http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/regulations/regs/dayregs.htm, Accessed August 13, 2009.

^xii Adapted from Canada Revenue Agency, “Information about child care expenses”, Government of Canada, http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/t778/t778-08e.pdf, Accessed August 13, 2009.

^xiii Adapted from Vaz-Oxlade, G., “Build a budget that works”, Till Debt Do Us Part, http://www.gailvazoxlade.com/articles_f/article31-3.htm, Accessed August 13, 2009

^xiv Adapted from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, “RESPs: Special Savings Plans for Education,” Government of Canada, http://www.canlearn.ca/eng/saving/RESP/brochure/resp.pdf , Accessed August 13, 2009.