Do You Need a Will in Ontario? 7 Signs It’s Time

Roughly 57% of adult Canadians don’t have a will. Most of them know they should. The question isn’t usually whether you need one — it’s whether your situation is serious enough to stop putting it off. Here are seven signs that, in Ontario, the answer is yes.

1. You own anything — even a little

If you have a bank account, a car, a pension, a TFSA, an RRSP, or anything else with your name on it, you have an estate. When someone dies without a will in Ontario, the Succession Law Reform Act decides who gets what — not you. The formula is rigid and often doesn’t match what most people actually want.

2. You have a spouse or common-law partner

Here’s a surprise most people don’t know: in Ontario, a common-law partner does not automatically inherit anything under the intestacy rules. Even a married spouse only receives a preferential share and then splits the rest with the children. If you want your partner taken care of the way you intend, a will is the only way to make it happen.

3. You have children — especially minor children

Without a will, you can’t legally name a guardian for your minor children. If something happens to both parents, the court decides who raises them. A will lets you name the person you trust. This is, for most parents, reason enough on its own.

4. You just had a major life change

Any of these events should prompt a new or updated will:

• Marriage or entering a common-law relationship
• Separation or divorce
• Having a child
• Buying a home
• Receiving an inheritance
• Starting a business

Ontario changed its laws in 2022 so that marriage no longer automatically revokes a will, and separation (one year apart, or after a separation agreement) automatically removes a former spouse as a beneficiary. Good to know — but not a reason to skip updating your will after a life event.

5. You want specific gifts to go to specific people

Your grandmother’s ring. The cottage. A charitable donation. Without a will, none of these can be directed to a particular person or cause. Everything gets liquidated and divided by formula. A will is the only way to make specific gifts stick.

6. You have blended-family considerations

Step-children, children from a prior relationship, a second spouse — these situations are where intestacy rules get especially bad. Step-children, for example, are not automatic beneficiaries in Ontario. A will lets you plan for the family you actually have.

7. You want to make things easier for the people you love

This is the quiet reason most people end up making a will. Without one, the estate process is slower, more expensive, and more stressful for your family. They’ll have to apply to the court to be appointed as estate trustee. There may be disputes over what you would have wanted. A will spares them most of this.

What about holograph wills?

Ontario recognizes holograph wills — wills written entirely in your own handwriting and signed. No witnesses required. They’re valid, but they’re also notorious for being ambiguous, incomplete, or challenged. They’re better than nothing, but not by much. A properly drafted will signed in front of two witnesses is the standard in every other situation.

How much does it actually cost?

A lawyer-drafted will in Ontario typically costs $500–$1,500. Cedar Wills publishes planned one-time products from $129–$349 CAD plus applicable tax. Paid checkout is not yet available while product, legal, and launch gates are completed. Price isn’t the main reason to get a will — peace of mind is — but cost is rarely the real barrier anymore.

The real question

If any of the seven signs apply to you, the question isn’t whether you need a will. It’s how you want to spend the next 30 minutes. That’s about how long a straightforward Ontario will takes.

This article is for general information. Cedar Wills is a document-generation platform, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice.