Thank you, Mr. Speaker. People don't like to think about what will happen after they pass away. Unfortunately, this means that, on top of grieving the death of a loved one, families are left to deal with their estate. This is made even more complicated if someone died without a will.

The Department of Justice has a Legal Aid Outreach clinic which can provide free advice on wills and estates, and I encourage the Minister to ensure that this important office continues helping residents by assisting with wills. By clearly putting your wishes on paper, families will know how you wanted your estate dealt with. This will make handling the estate after death easier for everyone.

Unfortunately, across the NWT, there are many people who do not have wills. Over the last number of years, my constituents have had to deal with estates of their loved ones, and many have had to hire a lawyer to assist them, a cost that many of my constituents can barely afford. This is going to become a larger problem in every community in the NWT in the future, as elders are one of our fastest growing populations.

The public trustee can assist with some causes, but only in certain situations. This leaves most residents trying to figure out the legal questions on estates by themselves, a frustrating and exhausting exercise. Many of these estates are small, but some involve family homes and potentially several heirs with claims to them.

I don't think that we want to be in a situation where the children have to mortgage the home to pay for a lawyer to settle the estate. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted.