TORONTO — Nadine Parker couldn’t have guessed that she’d be writing her will at the age of 32. But four months pregnant with identical twins and married to a nurse, Parker said the growing COVID-19 pandemic has them both confronting their mortality.

The grim task of preparing for death was necessary. The talk with her husband, she said, was tough.  

“It was honest, it was raw,” said Parker, noting they both drafted wills.

The new coronavirus that has spread rapidly throughout Canada appears to have led to a sharp demand for wills.

Erin Bury, CEO of the Toronto-based online service Willful, said her business has been busy ever since March 12 — the day after actor Tom Hanks announced he had tested positive for coronavirus and the day after the NBA shut down.

“The first eight days of April compared to the first few days of March, it’s been a 620 per cent increase in sales, and 450 per cent increase in traffic,” Bury said.

Dying without a Will risks having your assets distributed according to a provincial formula, which varies across the country.

If there is no surviving parent, minor children would go to whoever applies to be the guardian — even if it’s a relative you didn’t like. Pets most often end up in shelters.

It also takes longer to administer an estate and leads to guesswork and uncertainty — and arguments — among family members. 

WHO NEEDS TO HAVE A WILL OR POWER OF ATTORNEY?

If you are an adult with any sort of assets or dependants — and that includes your pets — you should have a will in place.

Having a will ensures your assets are divided appropriately, that your children or pets have been assigned legal guardians, and that you have designated someone to advocate for you when it comes to your health and finances, should you be unable to, through powers of attorney.

-M. de Jesus/ Far West Herald