Alison Scott Butler, QC | 25 seats available
Wednesdays, 1:00pm — 3:00pm
October 18 — November 1 (3 sessions)

This participatory course will focus on the difficult dilemmas which arise in families when a family member loses capacity or dies. Key elements will include

1. Gathering essential information for your family and leaving clear instructions-including checklists and templates for essential legal documents
2. Approaches to engage families in the planning process to prepare to instruct your lawyer.
3. The opportunity to share stories and get different perspectives, e.g. family cottages
4.  strategies to rebuild relationships after big changes in family dynamics when a key family member dies or becomes incapacitated.
5. Some cautionary tales from the Courts.

Emphasis will be on the practical impact of the laws governing wills, Powers of Attorney, Personal Directives, Marriage Contracts, and Probate.

Alison Scott Butler QC

Alison Scott Butler QC retired from law practice which spanned 40 years in 2015. Admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1974 she worked for Dalhousie Legal Aid, developed a do-it-yourself Divorce Kit, worked for a short time with Nova Scotia Legal Aid before joining the Tax Litigation Section of Department of Justice in Ottawa. In 1981 she joined the Kentville law firm of Taylor McLellan and Cochrane where she was a partner until 1988. In 1992 she received an LLM from Dalhousie with a specialty in Tax and the Charter of rights. She served on the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission for 5 years as well as Family and Children Services and Chrysalis House Boards She carried on a solo law practice from her home for about 25 years advising her many clients on property, small business, tax and succession planning. She authored publications on Canadian Law of Planning and Zoning and Tax Planned Will Precedents for Thompson Reuters for more than ten years. Personal experience caring for elderly relatives has given her compassion insights.