Why You Should Ask Whether Your Client Has Indian Status

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Four years ago, my French-Canadian mother, who has no Aboriginal ancestry, yet is a status Indian, executed a will. The lawyer who drafted her will never thought to inquire into whether she had Indian status. Yet, should my mother die ordinarily resident on reserve, this will dramatically alter the administration of her estate, and potentially even the validity of her bequests.

    If your client is a person registered under the Indian Act , R.S.C. 1985, c. I-5 (commonly referred to as a “status Indian”), and lives on reserve (or is currently living off-reserve but plans to move back to their reserve at some point in the future), an entirely different set of laws may govern their estate planning than the provincial laws with which the average estate lawyer is familiar.

    Original languageCanadian English
    JournalReports & Public Policy Documents
    Publication statusPublished - Jan. 1 2010

    Keywords

    • Canada
    • Indian Status
    • Wills
    • Indian Act
    • Living on Reserve

    Disciplines

    • Estates and Trusts
    • Indigenous, Indian, and Aboriginal Law
    • Law

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Why You Should Ask Whether Your Client Has Indian Status'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this