Beginning Tuesday August 1, we will be able to accept credit cards as payment for the day's luncheon, with or without ticket. We also accept payment for membership dues and purchase of book of lunch tickets.
We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express. Sorry, no debit cards at this time.
You will be able to select if you want to receive a receipt by text or email.
Please be patient with us as we are learning as we go.
On Tuesday we heard from Stacy Maurier, pictured, a lawyer and founder of Estate Connection Law Firm. Stacy ha been a wills and estates lawyer in the Edmonton area for many years. She has had a lot of experience both personally and professionally with people whose will and estate planning has been less than the best and had lots of tips to offer to avoid pitfalls. She stressed that being open and honest with your family about what your wishes are, even though it could be awkward or difficult, was uppermost in preventing your family from falling apart due to conflict once you pass away. You should put some thought and consideration into what your family issues are and how best to deal with them, so that you can leave your family with solutions, and not more problems.
She mentioned the fact that most people either do not have a will, or have a will that is problematic as all of the family issues have not been dealt with. She also discussed holographic wills and do-it-yourself wills. Holographic wills are legal and do not require a witness, and in fact are best when not witnessed. She has seen many cases where the witness used was not appropriate, or not even legal. Do-it-yourself, fill in the blanks wills are fine for very simple estates, but only when completed properly. She has seen cases where people mentioned everything but the big items like their home or bank accounts!
Stacy Maurier
She then went on to describe some of the common complicating issues that families can have. These include second marriages, blended families, handicapped children receiving government support such as AISH, young children or irresponsible family members who can not handle money, family members who simply can not get along, and complicated business ownerships or investment interests. People with any of these issues should consult an experienced lawyer to help with drafting their will, to avoid any expensive complications when it comes time to execute their will.
Stacy then went on to talk about the importance of carefully selecting your executor/s. You should consider whether they will have the time and ability to perform their duties properly and legally. It should be someone who can be non-partisan and lives in the same legal jurisdiction as your assets, to avoid expensive complicated legal issues. If this is not possible, appoint a lawyer or trust company instead. She also talked about methods of distributing your estate to your beneficiaries, to avoid some common pitfalls. When leaving your home to a second wife, where you have children from a previous marriage, consider setting up a home trust, so that your second wife can live in the home until she dies, but the assets from the home sale will be split evenly with all of your children once she passes on. When setting up a trust, consider how long a trust may need to be cared for. It may outlast the life span of the executor responsible for looking after it! The public trustee fees to look after a trust can be sizable, so the trust should be at least ten thousand dollars or more, if the public trustee will be involved. Try not to divide your estate between more than ten or twelve people, as this will entail substantial legal fees. You should also consider setting out a remuneration for your executor, if they will be responsible for a complicated estate or a trust with ongoing duties, in order to recognise the work involved.
The last item related to wills that she mentioned, was leaving bequests to charity. She highly recommends doing this, as it leaves a lasting legacy. She recommended that any bequest be a set sum of money, not a percentage of your estate, as this means that your executor has to give a detailed financial report for your estate to the charity. The charity can then come back and dispute even the smallest expenses, such as the cost of appetizers served for the memorial lunch. In fact, she has actually seen this happen many times.
She also had some general recommendations for end of life planning. Pre-planning your funeral will relieve your family of many possibly costly choices they would need to make, while not in the best frame of mind. Choose your coffin, type of funeral or memorial, type of burial or cremation and place of burial, urn or ash placement. Have a family gathering to let all of your family members know simultaneously what your wishes are, and who to contact when the time comes. Make lists of all your assets, accounts, debts, loans etc., where they are located and how to access them. Do not forget things like email and electronic subscriptions, mobile phone accounts, safe deposit boxes etc. Consider the tax implications. Set up trusts to protect funds, or give tax free cash to your children now, versus leaving them taxable assets in the future. Check your home ownership paperwork. If you have old wording mentioning ‘tenants in common’, have it updated to say ‘joint tenants’. This can save money and legal headaches in the future. Remember that all wills involving property or large sums of money held by a bank will need to be probated in court before the assets can be accessed. There is a fee for this that will need to be paid. Two more things everyone should do is set up an Enduring Power of Attorney to appoint someone to look after their estate if they are alive but no longer able to do so, and, also to appoint a Personal Care Agent, who makes personal care decisions for you, if you are not able to do this. Her parting words were to live life prepared. Where there is a will there is a way.
Come on folks. We need to get going here. We are only one week away from this amazing event. The organizers need numbers.
Where are you going to get a home cooked gourmet pig roast with all the trimmings, alchoholic beverages and non, entertainment, a chance to win fabulous prizes in a gorgeous private home for only $60/ea??
This year the Kerr's are graciously opening their door and their hearts again in hosting The All Things 60's Party.
The date is Saturday, August 12, 2017 from 5:00 pm (1700) till 10:00 pm (2200).
Like last year, the Kerr's are putting on the whole show by providing food, entertainment and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic).
Skip is donating three premium bottles, e.g. 27 year old Scotch, Masterpiece Bourbon, Platinum Tequila. Heather has provided a sign-up sheet where you can pre order and pay her in advance. Open the file in the left column or
All revenue from ticket sales and funds raised will be destined to Kiva Micro Finance, with emphasis on borrowers in Ecuador and Columbia as suggested by the Kerr's.
Skip is donating three premium bottles, e.g. 27 year old Scotch, Masterpiece Bourbon, Platinum Tequila. Heather has provided a sign-up sheet where you can pre order and pay her in advance. Open the file in the left column. All revenue from ticket sales and funds raised will be destined to Kiva Micro Finance, with emphasis on borrowers in Ecuador and Columbia as suggested by the Kerr's.
Ignite Change is a global gathering for human rights defenders, protectors, promoters, facilitators… those with a concern about the current human rights climate we live within and are working to build peace and take action globally and locally.
Participants will examine how to address four key issues from a human rights lens: human trafficking, arms, drugs and hate. Global citizens need to amplify voices and perspectives on these issues and translate concerns into non-violent direct action.
Whether you are curious about human rights and need some direction or inspiration, an active human rights defender, or one with knowledge and experience to share, this gathering will provide an opportunity to network and build a deepened collective impact.
We are inviting all Rotary Clubs in the districts to sponsor an international student or delegate to attend this Global Gathering.
Outcomes of the conference will include a report of public policy recommendations on the issues at hand and a documentation of stories and ideas.
The Global Gathering has been brought to you by the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights with the support of the Tribal Chief Ventures, City of Edmonton, Government of Alberta, and Lions Club of Edmonton Golden Gate.
Rtn. Jerry Kelly from Victoria, formerly with the RC Edmonton, joined us at the zoo and gave us an invitation to join other golfers from around the world to their 54th golf tournament in Victoria BC. The "International Golfing Fellowship of Rotary" is one of the oldest Rotary Fellowships.
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