Local law association offering ‘pay what you can’ wills program for frontline workers

The current pandemic has brought about a time filled with uncertainty and anxiety for many. To help combat that, a Kingston-based law association has announced a new initiative.

The Frontenac Law Association is offering a ‘pay what you can afford’ program, allowing front-line and essential service workers to obtain wills and power of attorney documents during the current state of emergency. The hope is that obtaining these documents can provide frontline and essential service workers with a degree of order and certainty in their personal affairs, assisting those working hard through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During this time, we all want to help our community in any way we can,” Frontenac Law Association President Warren WhiteKnight said in a statement. “As lawyers, offering this service is one thing we can do to pitch in.”

The Association said that, while many people have intentions of obtaining wills and power of attorney documents, doing so is often pushed off as something that can be done in the future. By offering these services on a ‘pay what you can afford’ basis, the Frontenac Law Association and participating lawyers hope to offer a sense of security to “those who are bearing the brunt of our community efforts,” the Association said. This program also helps ensure local frontline workers are getting the proper documentation appropriate for their individual scenarios.

The Frontenac Law Association includes lawyers practicing in the region from Belleville to Brockville, and north to Perth, including: Kingston, Lennox & Addington, Frontenac, Gananoque, Smith Falls, and Sharbot Lake. 

Frontline and essential service workers who wish to have wills or power of attorney documents completed should contact a lawyer participating in this initiative. Those 15+ lawyers are listed on the Covid-19 Wills Program page on Frontenac Law Association’s website. The association advises that social distancing measures are in place, and meetings can be conducted virtually or over the phone.  

“We know this is something people are thinking about right now, and they may be turning to online will resources, which may not actually meet their needs appropriately,” said participating lawyer Annie Clifford. “We want to help these frontline workers get proper documents in place, so they can focus on what’s most important right now.”