Does a Will Cover Medical Decisions in British Columbia?

No — a will does nothing while you're alive. It speaks only after death. If illness or injury leaves you unable to manage your affairs, your will is silent on who pays your bills or makes your medical decisions. British Columbia handles that with a different set of documents, and the names here differ from other provinces.

A will is strictly a death document

Your B.C. will distributes assets, names an executor, and can name a guardian for minor children — but each of those powers begins at death. Incapacity is a separate problem needing separate tools.

B.C.'s incapacity documents

• Enduring Power of Attorney — authorizes someone to manage your financial and legal affairs (banking, bills, property) if you lose capacity. "Enduring" means it survives your incapacity.
• Representation Agreement — B.C.'s distinctive instrument for health and personal-care decisions. A section 9 agreement can grant broad authority over medical treatment and care. (B.C. uses representation agreements rather than a "power of attorney for personal care.")
• Advance Directive — in B.C. you can also make a legally recognized advance directive that gives or refuses consent to specific health care directly to your providers.

Without these, your family may have to go through the Public Guardian and Trustee or apply to court — slow and stressful at the worst time.

The B.C. document set most adults need

1. A will (after death).
2. An Enduring Power of Attorney (finances during incapacity).
3. A Representation Agreement (health and personal care during incapacity).
4. Optionally, an Advance Directive for specific treatment wishes.

Together they cover both incapacity and death — the gap a will alone leaves wide open.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a will and a power of attorney in British Columbia? A will operates after death; an enduring power of attorney operates while you're alive but incapable. Do I need a living will in British Columbia? B.C.'s version is the Advance Directive, paired with a Representation Agreement for broader care decisions. Who makes medical decisions if I'm incapacitated in British Columbia? Your representative under a Representation Agreement; without one, a default substitute decision-maker or the Public Guardian and Trustee. What documents do I need besides a will in British Columbia? An Enduring Power of Attorney and a Representation Agreement, and optionally an Advance Directive.

Not legal advice. General information about British Columbia law as of 2026. Confirm specifics with a B.C. estate lawyer or notary.