Disclaimer

Peaceful Plans explains how the rules generally work in Canada. Everything on this site is general information about wills, estates, directives, funerals, and related topics. Nothing here is legal advice, and nothing here creates a lawyer and client relationship of any kind.

Laws vary by province and territory, and they change over time. Quebec operates under a civil law tradition that differs from the common law provinces in ways our guides flag wherever they matter. A rule that is accurate for Manitoba may be wrong for Ontario, and a rule that was accurate when a guide was last verified may have changed since.

Every guide prints its sources and its last verified date so you can check the rule at the official source yourself. We work to keep guides current, and we correct errors when we find them, but we cannot promise that every page reflects the law on the day you read it.

For advice about your own situation, speak with a lawyer licensed in your province, or in Quebec a notary. Estates with a family business, property in another country, a beneficiary with a disability, blended family tension, or debts the estate cannot cover deserve professional help, and our guides say so plainly wherever those situations come up.

If you are reading this page because someone has died recently, we are sorry for your loss. Take the steps one at a time. Very little in settling an estate has to happen today.