Ontario Bar Association announces Make a Will Month initiatives

To mark Make a Will Month this November, the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) has announced that it is again spearheading its annual awareness initiative, given the recent research revealing that fewer than half of Canadians have a valid will. 

According to the OBA’s media release, in this year’s campaign, dozens of its members with experience in wills and estate planning will participate in public information sessions in communities across the province. 

“Every year Make A Will Month mobilizes OBA members province wide in a shared mission to help Ontarians understand how important having an up-to-date will, prepared with the personalized attention of a lawyer, is to preserving their wishes and preventing unnecessary complications,” said Katy Commisso, OBA president, in the media release. 

According to the OBA’s website, the speakers at these free seminars include: 

• Nov. 5 (Wednesday): Emily OKeefe, McLeod Green Dewar LLP
• Nov. 6 (Thursday): Neil La Marca, Hummingbird Lawyers LLP
• Nov. 7 (Friday): Mark Giavedoni, Gowling WLG
• Nov. 10 (Monday): Jack Fallon, NIKA LAW
• Nov. 11 (Tuesday): Gosha Sekhon, Sekhon Legal Services
• Nov. 12 (Wednesday): Adam Giancola, Casey & Moss LLP; Birute Luksenaite, Portfolio Estate Law
• Nov. 13 (Thursday): Carly Deboni and Jessica Macaulay, De Bakker Law; Jack Fallon
• NIKA LAW
• Nov. 15 (Saturday): Rachel Sachs, Sachs Law Professional Corporation    
• Nov. 17 (Monday): Brad Langford, Langford Law Offices; Nancy Burton-Vulovic, Burton-Vulovic Estate Law
• Nov. 18 (Tuesday): Rebecca Fisch, RSF Law
• Nov. 19 (Wednesday): Ana Wagner, Laredo Law Professional Corporation
• Nov. 20 (Thursday): Angela Ogang, AngeLAW; Rachel Sachs, Sachs Law Professional Corporation
• Nov. 21 (Friday): Apeksha Jain, Sorbara Law
• Nov. 22 (Saturday): Carmelo N. Runco, Runco Law Professional Corporation
• Nov. 24 (Monday): Jack Fallon, NIKA LAW; Megan Hertner, George Street Law Group LLP; Nancy Burton-Vulovic, Burton-Vulovic Estate Law
• Nov. 25 (Tuesday): Nandi Deterville, Deterville Law Office; Victoria Gordon, Cohen Highly LLP; Genevieve Madil and Bryn Allan, Beard Winter LLP; Tsvetomira (Mira) Niklin, Miller Thomson
• Nov. 26 (Wednesday): Rajni Tekriwal, Rajni Tekriwal Law Professional Corporation; Joanna Hayes and Taylor Pender, Henderson Williams LLP
• Nov. 27 (Thursday): Anub Simson, A.G. Simson Law Professional Corporation; Nancy Burton-Vulovic, Burton-Vulovic Estate Law
• Nov. 29 (Saturday): Angela Ogang, AngeLAW
• Dec. 1 (Monday): Victoria Gordon, Cohen Highly LLP

“These free sessions are about more than providing practical legal information — they’re about community engagement that empowers people to take steps that will truly protect their family, their legacy, and their peace of mind,” Commisso said. 

Need for a will

The OBA noted that a 2023 RBC Royal Trust/National Institute on Ageing report supported that too many Canadians have neglected to plan for how to ensure the continued care of their loved ones after their death or incapacity. 

The report showed that, among Canadians polled: 

• Around 48 percent – and 34 percent of those aged 35–54 – had a will 
• About 35 percent appointed a power of attorney 
• Significant challenges included not understanding the fundamentals or knowing where to begin 

“Making a will isn’t a one-time checkbox,” said Lisa Toner, chair of the OBA’s Trusts and Estates Law Section Executive, in the media release. “It’s about having relevant conversations, understanding your current reality, and getting the help that will translate those, often complex, circumstances and intentions into clear legal instructions.” 

In its media release, the OBA highlighted the following complexities that may arise in today’s realities, underscoring the pressing need for Canadians to seek legal advice and properly draft a will: 

• open-ended family structures and estranged or blended-family relationships, including those featuring common-law partners or step-children, where the rules might not reflect the estate owner’s wishes 
• data or digital assets, such as eBay or cryptocurrency accounts and cloud-based photo storage, which can be lost if a will or estate plan does not cover them 
• cross-border and global property ownership, holdings, and investments, which can benefit from wills addressing multiple jurisdictions
• dependency, capacity, and disability issues 
• the risk of wills and other documents becoming outdated following marriages, divorces, childbirths, digital asset growth, and new business ventures 

“Lawyers can offer individuals the sense of calm and confidence that comes with knowing their affairs have been handled with the utmost knowledge and care,” Toner said. 

During last year’s campaign, OBA lawyers also participated in free information sessions.