What Information Do You Need to Write a Will Online in Canada?
What information do you need to write an online Will in Canada? Less than most people expect.
To write a Will online in Canada, a person typically needs just a few things, including the first and last names of the people they want to name in their Will, an idea of who should act as the executor(s) of their Will, who should be the guardian(s) of any minor children or pets, and a sense of what they own and who they want to benefit through their estate.
A Will sets out who will perform certain roles and how the estate will be distributed. It is not meant to be a detailed inventory of assets — so bank account details, account balances, or other lists of assets are generally not required. With Epilogue, a Will can be created in about 20 minutes.
What to have ready before starting a Will
Most of the preparation is making decisions, not collecting paperwork. A Will-maker should be prepared to make decisions about guardians for any minor children or pets, how assets are distributed, and who will manage the estate.
The people
The Will-maker. A Will usually states the Will-maker's full legal name, any other names they are known by or have used, and it is customary to identify the city or town where they live.
An executor and a backup. The executor administers the estate after death and is responsible for gathering assets, paying debts and taxes, and distributing what is left. The alternate executor can step in if the first choice is unable or unwilling to act.
Guardians for minor children. Parents can name a person they would like to care for their minor children if they die. The legal effect of that appointment, including whether further court steps are required, depends on the province and the family's circumstances. Epilogue's guide on appointing a guardian for minor children covers that choice in more detail.
Care for pets. Someone who owns pets can also name someone to look after them in case there is no one else in the household who is able to do so.
Beneficiaries. Each person should be identified by name and relationship, clearly enough that there is no doubt who is being referred to. For a charitable gift, it is important to identify the intended organization clearly. Its full legal name, charitable registration number, and address can help avoid ambiguity. Epilogue has this information built into its platform for supported charities, while other platforms may require users to look it up.
It also helps to speak with the proposed executor and guardian before naming them, to confirm they are willing to take on the role.
The decisions
Specific gifts. Particular items or amounts for particular people or charities. Examples could include a car, jewelry, a family photo album, or a specific sum of money.
The residue. Everything left in the estate after debts, taxes, funeral and other estate expenses, and specific gifts have been dealt with. Most of an estate is usually divided this way, by shares or percentages.
Alternates. Beneficiaries who receive a share of the estate if a certain contingency is met. For example, this might involve a primary beneficiary not being alive when the Will-maker dies.
Age of inheritance. Parents may be able to specify the age at which a child receives their inheritance, rather than having it distributed as provided under applicable law.
Documents to have at hand
No documents are required to start, but having some information handy makes the process easier to complete in one sitting:
Full name of each person being named in the Will
Legal names, registration numbers, and head-office locations for any charities being named (if not pre-built into the online platform)
A general sense of the assets and debts that will make up your estate
Does a Will need to include bank account or financial details?
Generally, no. Aside from specific gifts (typically, a few particular items that should go to specific individuals), a Will usually sets out how the remainder of the estate (the "residue") is divided in general terms. For example, "I give the residue of my estate to my wife, Jane Smith, if she survives me."
A Will generally does not need to include account numbers, balances, or passwords. There are a couple of good reasons to avoid including this information.
First, if a Will is submitted as part of a probate or court process, it may become accessible to others. Including detailed financial information can therefore create unnecessary privacy and security risks. Second, a person's assets change over time, so a list prepared when the Will is signed may no longer reflect what they own when they die.
What matters more than the particular assets is the plan. Someone who wants the estate split equally between their children can say so in their Will without knowing exactly how much money is in those accounts on the day they make their Will, or how much will be in there on the day they die; identifying the accounts is part of the executor's job after the Will-maker dies.
This does not mean that the details of assets and accounts should be completely secret. These details can help the executor significantly when it comes to managing the estate. Anyone who creates an account with Epilogue gains free access to a document that lets them record this information for their executor.
Do assets and their values need to be listed in a Will?
A Will typically lists only the specific gifts, meaning the particular items or amounts going to particular people or charities. Everything else is dealt with together as the residue. Values are not usually stated, because they change between the day a Will is signed and the day it takes effect.
A ballpark idea of what someone owns still shapes the plan: having a rough idea of the value of your estate can help you decide whether to leave a specific amount to charity and, if so, how much.
Also, some assets typically fall outside a Will altogether:
Property owned jointly with a right of survivorship generally passes to the surviving co-owner
Proceeds of life insurance policies with designated beneficiaries generally go to those beneficiaries and pass outside the Will
Registered plans, such as RRSPs and TFSAs, may pass directly to a designated beneficiary outside the Will where permitted by applicable law. Quebec has different rules governing beneficiary designations.
Funeral and burial wishes are best recorded separately and given to the executor and family members because a Will may not be located before the funeral
The rules regarding joint ownership and beneficiary designations vary by province, so it is worth checking how each asset is held and how the rules of your province apply in your situation.
How long it takes to make a Will online
With Epilogue, a Will can be completed in about 20 minutes. The Will-maker starts by answering some easy-to-understand questions. Once that's done, Epilogue generates the custom Will in seconds. Step-by-step signing instructions explain how to make the Will valid. Most of the time spent creating a Will online is devoted to the decisions themselves — not actually filling in the questionnaire — so thinking about things like executors, guardians, and asset distribution ahead of time can really help.
Signing is a separate step. The formal requirements for making a Will valid vary by province and territory. For a conventional paper Will, the usual process is to print the document, sign it, and have two witnesses witness the signature in accordance with the applicable rules. Witnesses should generally not be beneficiaries under the Will or the spouses of beneficiaries, although the precise rules vary by jurisdiction. Epilogue's guide to signing and witnessing a Will explains the rules, and its Learn Centre covers executors, beneficiaries and guardians in more depth.
What Epilogue asks for and how it handles the information
Epilogue asks you about the things that need to go into your Will: names, relationships, the people chosen for each role, and decisions about specific gifts and the residue. It does not require an inventory, a net-worth calculation, or bank account information at any point.
Here are some additional things that Epilogue does with your information:
Data stored in Canada. Epilogue stores its data in Canadian data centres.
Free lifetime updates. A Will can be updated for free, anytime.
Preview before paying. The documents can be previewed before any payment.
Clear prices. A Will is $139, or $199 with incapacity documents (naming someone to handle finances and someone to make health care decisions, if the Will-maker becomes incapable). For couples, Wills are $269, or $329 with incapacity documents. Full details are on the Epilogue pricing page.
What comes with it. Each plan includes detailed signing instructions, a way to record funeral wishes, the option to create an asset inventory to help the executor, notifications to the executors and guardians named in the Will, and a Social Media Will. Epilogue also offers the option to have the finished Will printed and mailed.
Epilogue was founded by two former estate lawyers, and its platform helps people understand whether an online Will might be right for them. Legal advice can be helpful for someone who wants to exclude a spouse or child from their Will, is in a blended family, has a child with a disability who receives government benefits, or has significant assets outside Canada. The short quiz on Epilogue's home page helps someone check whether an online Will might suit their situation.
FAQ
What information do I need to provide to write a Will online in Canada?
Typically, the Will-maker's full legal name and city or town, the full names and relationships of the people appointed as executors, guardians, and alternates, plus decisions about the distribution of specific gifts and the residue. With Epilogue, no list of assets or bank account information is needed before starting.
Do I have to give my bank account or financial details to make a Will online?
No. A Will names people and divides the estate in general terms, so account numbers and balances are usually not included. A Will-maker does not need to gather bank account information before starting.
How long does it take to make a Will online, and what should I have ready?
With Epilogue, about 20 minutes. It helps to have full names, a choice of executor and guardian with alternates, any specific gifts, and a plan for the residue. The signing process (to make the Will valid) happens afterwards.
Do I need to list all my assets and their values in my Will?
No. A Will typically lists only specific gifts and then divides the residue by shares or percentages, so values don't need to be stated. Jointly owned property and certain policies and accounts with designated beneficiaries can pass outside the Will, depending on your province's specific rules.
Can a Will made online be updated later?
Yes. With Epilogue, updates are free, anytime. After making changes, the revised documents must be generated and the new Will must be printed, signed, and witnessed in accordance with the applicable rules. The new Will should include appropriate revocation language to revoke the earlier Will.
Disclaimer: Epilogue is not a law firm and cannot provide any legal advice. This article is for informational purposes only and may not cover all legal considerations. For complex estate planning needs, consult a qualified estate planning professional.
