EstateCoach

08/25/2026

Based in St. Thomas, serving all Ontario. A Will and Power of Attorney documents don't need to take a long time. estatecoach.ca

08/11/2026

When we send our children off to post secondary education, or even just turning 18, it's easy to forget our 18 year old is now legally independent. Including healthcare decisions. Age 18? Time for a basic Will and POA. Estatecoach is based in St. Thomas, serving Ontario.

08/04/2026

Point policies vary from company to company. There is no established legislation to mandate what happens to point programs upon a person’s death.

Policies include limited redemption time periods after death then points expire, possible point transfers, cancellation of certain redemption choices, and even immediate cancellation of all points.

Points are considered assets of a person and a cost to companies, so companies enact due diligence to ensure the assets are distributed properly, while reducing their liability and obligations. It’s not often an easy process.

An Executor should be prepared to provide copies of the death certificate, the Will, perhaps the most recent statement of points, and a letter summarizing the request specifically naming the beneficiaries involved. A company may even require any or all of these documents to be notarized.

What can be done before a person dies?

- Points distribution to beneficiaries can be explicitly stated in a Will.
-A Testator [person writing a Will] should ensure the Executor has access to, and knows passwords of the companies who have awarded points.
-Before the Testator dies and no longer has need of the points, they could transfer or gift them if allowed, or make a final redemption before death.

For Executors, loyalty points are one more of the many items to likely manage while administering an estate. Ask your Testator what point programs they have and how to access them.

For Testators, begin by having a current Will and ensure your Executor is equipped to access and manage the points. This helps make estate settlement easier for your Executor and Beneficiaries.

Estatecoach.ca is available with evening, weekend, online and mobile in-home service to prepare Will and Power of Attorney documents.

07/28/2026

An Executor does have the choice to change their mind after the person [called the Testator] who appointed them, dies.

To renounce the Executor role, there is a simple way and a not so simple way. The process to renounce depends on when the Executor makes the decision to renounce and whether the Executor has done any work on the estate.

SIMPLE PROCESS
If an Executor renounces immediately after the Testator dies, and no administration of the estate has occurred other than arranging the funeral, then the process involves completing Ontario form 74.11 or 74.18 declaring the decision to renounce. The renunciation form is typically filed with provincial court along with the probate application or Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee by the Alternate Executor if one is named, or the person requesting to be appointed as Estate Administrator. It is not filed by the individual renouncing executorship.

These forms are only one page and often completed by a lawyer, but this is not required. Notarization with an affidavit is also not required but a good idea for extra verification.

NOT SO SIMPLE PROCESS
If a Testator has died, and the Executor has begun administration of the estate, even just paying one bill, the Executor is considered to be intermeddling in the estate. In such cases, the process to renounce is now called a resignation, and is longer, more complicated, and more costly.

A complete accounting of estate assets and liabilities must be performed and submitted to provincial court in court required format. This process is called “passing of accounts” and is usually prepared by an experienced estate lawyer or estate accounting professional as the forms are considered complex. An affidavit must be also be signed and sworn with a notary. Only once the passing of accounts is accepted and approved by provincial court, can the executor officially resign.

So yes, an Executor does have the choice to change their mind. When they choose to do so, determines how.

Estatecoach.ca is available with evening, weekend, online and mobile in-home service.

06/23/2026

Make a list. Yes, make a list.

People have been told for decades “Never tell anyone your passcodes, never write them down, just memorize them!”

Well, that may have been possible when ATM bank cards and online banking were just starting to take off, and people only had a few codes to memorize. However, with the number of online services, platforms and providers today, the average number of passwords created by someone now can total at least 120 according to NordPass, a cyber security company.

Memorization is just not possible anymore.

When someone passes away, their Executor will be responsible to secure all online and virtual accounts. Your Executor will need to close, cancel and archive accounts, retrieve and download data, documents and photos, and any other family information which may only be stored in the cloud. Some people manage their finances and banking only on mobile devices. The Executor needs to be able to access devices to assess financial affairs and maybe even retrieve funds held only digitally such as Paypal, Bitcoin or online business stores.

If your Executor cannot access devices and apps, some information and funds will be lost.

A solution? Make a list. Make two. Create both written and electronic lists kept safely by you and accessible by your Executor. An electronic list is easily created with a password manager app. Of course, such an app itself requires a password. Your Executor will need its access codes also. This is why a physical and written list is also a good idea. Each time you change an access code, update both lists.

Your Will should also include a “Digital Assets Clause” authorizing your Executor to access your digital devices, apps and passcodes. This clause should state authority to override Terms of Service Agreements of providers. Without it, more and more providers are denying Executors access. Some major well-known providers are known to be notorious for this.

Make a list and update your Will.

Estatecoach.ca is available with evening, weekend, online and mobile in-home service. Peace of mind doesn’t have to take a long time.

06/16/2026

Accidents do happen while people are on vacation. Unfortunately.

Besides all the practical household tips and preparations, your Will and Power of Attorney documents should also be reviewed and updated as necessary.

Sure, it might seem like putting a damper on exciting vacation plans, but the consequences of not having current documents are far worse.

If you don’t have any, or can’t find them, let’s get them done. If it’s been a few years since you read them, pull them out and review. Estatecoach can help to interpret and update if needed. Your drafts can be ready in seven days or less.

Peace of mind shouldn’t have to take a long time.

06/05/2026

If you can answer YES to any of the following:

1) I need to prepare my first Will and Power of Attorney documents or,
2) I need to update mine because they are old and circumstances have changed or,
3) I have them done but I don’t know where they are;

Then, Estatecoach.ca based in St. Thomas can help. With a customized approach meeting conveniently by phone, video or in-person at your residence depending on location, your draft documents will be ready in 7 business days or less.

06/01/2026

For the Guardianship of Property application process through the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT*), which is a service offered by TBH admin, we educate our clients to understand that a Capacity Assessment is an INTEGRAL part of the application process.

If the applicant qualifies and they choose to apply for Guardianship of Property using the application process, (take the pre-qualifying quiz here: https://tbhadmin.ca/ ), a Capacity Assessment for Property by a qualified, and trained, Government of Ontario approved Designated Capacity Assessor is REQUIRED.

NOTE: *Obtaining Guardianship through a "judge in court" is another way to obtain Guardianship of Property in Ontario, but is not discussed in this post.

If the applicant chooses to use TBH admin to help with the Guardianship of Property application process, we make picking a capacity assessor EASY- helping every step of the way!
______________________
Guardianship of Property has become an ESSENTIAL step for Caregivers to take when caring for their incapable adult's property, and an ESSENTIAL step to ensure that the Caregiver's responsibilities are not stopped, delayed, or rejected because the necessary paperwork has not been completed / Guardianship of Property has not been obtained.
_______________________
If you are researching Adult Guardianship, please contact TBH legal / TBH admin today for more information!

🔵 https://tbhlegal.ca/adult-guardianship/
🔵 https://tbhadmin.ca/
☎️ 519-777-9303
📧 [email protected] or [email protected]

*Information applies to residents of Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦 Only.

05/12/2026

An excellent and valuable resource.

There are two ways to obtain Guardianship of Property and they are VERY different...
Let's Talk About it... COURT VS APPLICATION PROCESS.

1) Through a judge in a court room👨‍⚖️
➡️ For the "Adult Guardianship" court process, the judge will almost always "court order" a "Passing of Accounts" every 2, 3, or 5 years. This means that the caregiver(s) who were granted "Guardianship" will need to submit detailed financial records to a court for approval demonstrating how they managed assets, paid expenses, etc. This process typically involves retaining a lawyer which can cost the Guardian $2,000- $10,000+ in legal fees etc. every time this is required.

VS.

2) Through an application process sent to the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT)✉️
➡️ Every "Guardian" has a defined role and strict guidelines to follow and this includes keeping a very good record of how the Guardian managed the incapable adult's assets, expenses, etc. however a Guardian approved through the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee does not have a mandated requirement for "passing of accounts". The Guardian is advised to ALWAYS be "prepared" to explain their actions, at any time, if they were to be contacted by the PGT.
______________________
Guardianship of Property has become an ESSENTIAL step for Caregivers to take when caring for their incapable adult's property, and an ESSENTIAL step to ensure that the Caregiver's responsibilities are not stopped, delayed, or rejected because the necessary paperwork has not been completed / Guardianship of Property has not been obtained.
_______________________
If you are researching Adult Guardianship, please contact TBH legal / TBH admin today for more information!
🔵 https://tbhlegal.ca/adult-guardianship/
🔵 https://tbhadmin.ca/
☎️ 519-777-9303
📧 [email protected] or [email protected]
*Information applies to residents of Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦 Only.

04/28/2026

The only alternative in Ontario is Adult Guardianship of Property.

When an person who is at least 18 years of age has been deemed through a professional and certified mental capacity assessment, to be unable to responsibly make their own life decisions, then unfortunately, they will not be able to create and sign new power of attorney documents. This applies to Wills as well.

A Guardian of Property is an individual who is appointed to make financial and property decisions, and advocate for someone who is mentally incapable of doing so. Under Ontario law, the management of someone’s property is not subject to parental, spousal or family rights. Conferring these rights upon another person is not automatic. While Guardianship is very similar to a Power of Attorney since they share many comparable responsibilities and authorities, the process to obtain such documents is critically different.

The are currently only two methods to become appointed as Guardian of Property.

One method is to be appointed by a provincial court Judge. This typically involves the services of an experienced guardianship lawyer applying to court on the applicant’s behalf. This process could take up to a year and cost in excess of $10,000. Emphasis here on obtaining legal counsel with strong guardianship experience as the process is very niche.

The other method is bypassing the court and lawyers and applying directly to the Ontario Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee. Timelines can be shorter and less expensive. However, it is still wise and recommended to seek professional assistance navigating and understanding the detailed and precise process.

Fortunately, St. Thomas and Elgin County is blessed with an excellent professional experienced in Adult Guardianship. , a licensed paralegal and notary public, owns and assisting people with adult guardianship.

So yes, there is an option for an incapable person unable to make and sign a POA for Property. Guardianship of Property is available with the right help.

Estatecoach.ca is privileged to help with evening, weekend, online and mobile in-home service. Peace of mind doesn’t have to take a long time.