B.C. Law Institute Welcomes Implementation of Wills, Estates and Succession Act and New Probate Rules

March 28, 2013

BY Alison Taylor

28 March 2013—The BC Law Institute (BCLI) welcomes the announcement today by the Government of British Columbia that the Wills, Estates and Succession Act (WESA) and new probate rules are to come into force on March 31, 2014.  The reforms, which represent the most extensive reform of this area in 85 years, are significantly based on BCLI’s 2006 report Wills, Estates and Succession: A Modern Legal Framework and 2010 Report on New Probate Rules.

“We are very pleased to see the new WESA legislation and probate rules coming into effect,” said R.C. (Tino) Di Bella, who is Chair of BCLI, practices in the area, and participated in both the WESA and probate rules reform projects.  “BCLI expresses its great appreciation to over 35 wills and estates experts who volunteered their expertise in 135 committee meetings to the BCLI wills, estates and succession and probate rules reform work.  We acknowledge especially BCLI’s former Chair D. Peter Ramsay, Q.C., and Senior Staff Lawyer, Greg Blue, Q.C. who played leading roles in the projects and in developing recommendations.”

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British Columbia Law Institute

(604) 822-0142

28 March 2013—The BC Law Institute (BCLI) welcomes the announcement today by the Government of British Columbia that the Wills, Estates and Succession Act (WESA) and new probate rules are to come into force on March 31, 2014.  The reforms, which represent the most extensive reform of this area in 85 years, are significantly based on BCLI’s 2006 report Wills, Estates and Succession: A Modern Legal Framework and 2010 Report on New Probate Rules.

“We are very pleased to see the new WESA legislation and probate rules coming into effect,” said R.C. (Tino) Di Bella, who is Chair of BCLI, practices in the area, and participated in both the WESA and probate rules reform projects.  “BCLI expresses its great appreciation to over 35 wills and estates experts who volunteered their expertise in 135 committee meetings to the BCLI wills, estates and succession and probate rules reform work.  We acknowledge especially BCLI’s former Chair D. Peter Ramsay, Q.C., and Senior Staff Lawyer, Greg Blue, Q.C. who played leading roles in the projects and in developing recommendations.”

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British Columbia Law Institute

(604) 822-0142