Legal Advice

After a death, there are many legal details to take care of immediately and over time.  While it is not necessary to get a lawyer, it is strongly recommended.  A lawyer will make sure all the ‘t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted”.  The time following a death of a loved one is extremely emotional, and even the closest family will have disagreements over the most trivial matters.  To make sure there is still peace in the family, it is a good idea to let a lawyer figure things out. 

Before getting in touch with a lawyer there are several important documents that you need to gather.  Those include:

  • Wills
  • Deeds
  • Bank Statements
  • Insurance Policies
  • Vehicle Titles
  • Tax Documents
  • Funeral Home Statements of Death

As Funeral Directors we cannot provide legal information.  We encourage you to speak to a lawyer about your specific needs.    For legal inquiries, a law firm we recommend is Clyde A. Paul & Associates Inc. at 902.477.2518, located at 103- 531 Herring Cove Road, Halifax, NS, or visit their firm at www.clydepaul.ca

Bank Accounts

What is to be done with bank accounts after a death varies regionally.  In some regions, bank accounts are automatically frozen after a death.  To avoid any complications, the bank should be notified immediately, and you should find out the procedures for releasing these funds, and how to set up a new account for funds received after the death. See More.

Death Certificates

These documents have a variety of names, depending on who is asking for the document and who has issued the document.  The document completed by the attending physician or medical examiner is not the document to which most are referring.  This is a controlled document which is filed with NS Vital Statistics.  If you require an official long or short version, this is obtained at Access NS, Vital Statistics.

The document most are referring to are the documents issued by the funeral home.  These are most commonly called Death Certificates, Statements of Death, or Funeral Directors Statements of Death.  The person deemed legally responsible for seeing to the business following a death, is the person these documents are issued to, and they typically require multiple copies.  The funeral home prints these individually on funeral home letterhead, the funeral director signs them, and then embosses them with a company seal, indicating the authenticity of each document.  These cannot be photocopied.  Should more be required, even 10 years from now, please contact the funeral home at 902.477.5601. 

Wills

Everyone knows they should have a will, but the vast majority – about 70% of us – do not.  Writing a will is easy and inexpensive, and once you are done you can rest easy knowing your hard earned money and property will be distributed according to your wishes. See More

Probate

Probate is the legal process that transfers the legal title of property from the estate of the deceased to their beneficiaries.  See More

Executors

An executor is the personal representative of your estate.  They are the person in charge of taking control of your assets, paying off any debts, and distributing assets to your beneficiaries per the terms and conditions of your will. See More