Oct. 10, 2017

Wills Weeks help you prepare for your future by writing your will

Law school partners with law firm to give back to community, give families peace of mind.

It happens far too often: A loved one passes away and family members discover the person had no will. During what is already a stressful time, tensions rise as families try to sort out the final wishes of their loved ones.

Creating a will is the last thing on our minds when we are young. We don’t want to think about what will happen to us when we get older —that is years away and life is for living now! Additionally, we don’t want to pay the cost for a lawyer and give up the time it takes to create this important legal document. If we do have a will, it may be out of date or invalid if laws have changed since it was originally created.

First annual Wills Weeks to take place in November

The Faculty of Law, in partnership with Resolve Legal Group, is hosting the first annual Wills Weeks, from Nov. 1 to 15, to bring awareness to the public about the importance of wills, to raise funds for the Calgary Counselling Centre and to aid veterans (with a free will) in southern Alberta.

“Getting a will done can be costly for many people,” says Cyndy Morin, LLB’06, founder of Resolve Legal Group, family law lawyer and who when she was 27 had her partner pass away without a will. “This event will allow people to get a complete legal will in exchange for an affordable donation, while giving back to the community at the same time. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

Students gain experience; clients get a will

Students in the Faculty of Law who participate in Wills Weeks will gain practical experience in drafting wills, file management, client management, and collaboration with a supervising senior counsel. Students will each be assigned a client, and will work closely with a supervising lawyer to work through the process for their clients.

“We pride ourselves on the amount of practical experience our students can earn while in law school,” says Ian Holloway, dean of the law school. “We’re thrilled to partner with Cyndy and the law firm to provide this experiential learning opportunity for our students and to support a great organization in the Calgary Counselling Centre.”

Clients who wish to participate in Wills Weeks will donate $300 to the Calgary Counselling Centre. Clients who are veterans will get their wills completed free. Interested Calgarians are asked to contact Resolve Legal Group to register by Oct. 22.