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Oscar Fernandez GarciaNotary

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Preparing your will

What helps most is not bringing documents but having thought about a few questions. Here they are.

Other sheetsPreparing your will

When printed, the on-screen explanations drop out: only the list remains, to tick by hand.

Understanding more

Before you start

What you are actually deciding by making a will

Without a will, the Civil Code decides in fixed shares (legal devolution): with a spouse and children, one third to the spouse and two thirds to the children; without a spouse, everything to the children. A relative or an organisation you wanted to help does not exist.

A de facto spouse is not a legal heir, except in a parental union (in force since 30 June 2025 for spouses who became parents of the same child), where they receive one third. Outside that case, only a will lets them inherit.

A will also names the liquidator and a tutor for minor children. With no liquidator named, all the heirs act together and must agree at every step.

Preparing for the meeting: what saves time

No need for final answers: the right questions are enough. Bring the full names and contact details of the people you want to name, including a replacement liquidator, a short list of what you own and owe (the kind of asset matters, not its exact value), and any earlier wills: a more recent will revokes the previous one.

To prepare

The list to gather

The people

  • Who will inherit, and in what proportion.
  • Who will be liquidator, and who would replace them if they could not act.
  • If you have minor children: who would care for them.
  • The full names and contact details of those people.

The estate

  • A summary list of your property: immovables, accounts, investments, vehicles.
  • Your main debts.
  • Life insurance policies and retirement plans, with their designated beneficiaries.
  • Any property located outside Québec.

The documents

  • Valid identification.
  • Any earlier wills you have made.
  • Your marriage contract or common-law agreement, if you have one.
  • The divorce judgment, if applicable.

This list is indicative. Depending on your situation, other documents may be required or some may not apply. It does not replace the instructions you will be given for your own file.

The service that covers it in detail

Official sources

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This page provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Every situation must be assessed individually.

Next step

A question about your situation?

Write to us or call the office. We will tell you which steps to follow and which documents to prepare.

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