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Estate law, in plain language.
36 guides to how wills, probate and estate planning actually work in Canada. Written against the statutes — every legal claim cites its source, and every page shows when it was last reviewed.
Start with these
By province
Estate planning in Alberta: the complete picture
Alberta in one page: Wills and Succession Act validity rules, adult interdependent partners, the $525 surrogate fee cap, family maintenance claims, and the no-electronic-wills rule.
Wills, explained
Are online wills legal in Canada?
Online wills are legally valid in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. No province requires a lawyer. What matters is how the will is signed and witnessed — and that part differs by province.
By province
BC's wills variation power: when a court can rewrite your will
In British Columbia a spouse or child — including an independent adult child — can ask the court to rewrite a will that fails to provide for them adequately. What s 60 means for how you plan.
Beneficiaries and gifts
Beneficiaries, explained: specific gifts, residue and backups
The three-layer structure of every will — specific gifts, the residue split, and what happens when a beneficiary dies first. Get the layers right and the will works.
Executors
Choosing an executor: the decision that matters most
Your executor settles everything you leave behind. What the job actually involves, who makes a good one, out-of-province traps, and why the backup matters as much as the first choice.
By province
Common-law partners and inheritance: three provinces, three answers
Ontario: nothing automatic, ever. BC: full spousal rights after two years. Alberta: full rights as an adult interdependent partner. The sharpest provincial divide in Canadian estate law.
Browse by topic
Wills, explained
What a will actually does, what makes one legally valid in your province, and what happens to your estate if you never make one.
- Are online wills legal in Canada?
- What happens if you die without a will?
- Holograph wills: when a handwritten will counts
- How much does a will cost in Canada?
Executors
Choosing the person who will settle your estate, what the job involves in practice, and the limits on what they can do.
- Can an executor also be a beneficiary?
- Choosing an executor: the decision that matters most
- Executor compensation: what the job pays
- What executors actually do: the full job, in order
Beneficiaries and gifts
Who inherits what: specific gifts, the residue of your estate, contingent beneficiaries, and charitable bequests.
- Beneficiaries, explained: specific gifts, residue and backups
- Leaving a gift to charity in your will
- RRSPs, TFSAs and insurance: the beneficiaries your will can't touch
- Providing for a disabled beneficiary without breaking their benefits
Guardians and pets
Naming someone to raise your children if you cannot, providing for their inheritance, and making sure your animals are cared for.
- Estate planning for blended families
- Estate planning for new parents
- Naming a guardian for your children
- Providing for your pets in your will
Powers of attorney
The documents that matter while you are still alive: who manages your money and who makes your health decisions if you cannot.
- Choosing your attorney for property and personal care
- Power of attorney rules: Ontario, BC and Alberta compared
- Powers of attorney, explained
Probate and taxes
What probate is, what it costs in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, and what your estate owes the CRA.
- Probate fees by province — and the honest ways to reduce them
- Taxes at death: what your estate actually owes
- What is probate, and when is it required?
By province
Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta each have their own succession statute. Here is where they diverge.
- Estate planning in Alberta: the complete picture
- BC's wills variation power: when a court can rewrite your will
- Common-law partners and inheritance: three provinces, three answers
- Moving provinces: what happens to your will
Digital and long-term
Online accounts, cryptocurrency, keeping your plan current, and leaving your executor something they can actually use.
- Digital assets: your accounts, photos and crypto when you die
- Estate planning after 65: what changes
- When to update your will (and what happens if you don't)
Enough theory.
The questionnaire applies everything on these pages to your answers — and you read the finished will before paying.