Bill 30: An Act Respecting the Probate Court Act and the Public Trustee Act

This bill primarily affects estate lawyers, notaries, and trust and estate administrators working in New Brunswick who handle small estates on behalf of clients. If you run a small law firm or sole practice dealing with wills and estates, you'll now be able to use a simpler, lower-cost probate process for a broader range of estates — those valued up to $25,000 instead of the old $3,000 limit. Financial institutions and credit unions in New Brunswick that hold accounts or assets for deceased customers will also be touched, as the Public Trustee can now release those assets with less paperwork when the estate is under $25,000. For most affected businesses, this means less administrative burden and faster resolution of small estate files.