Why Make a Will?

Whether you have a lot of property or just money in a bank account, it’s essential to have a will. It helps your loved ones follow your wishes after your death. Without a will, your assets will be divided according to what the law says, which might not reflect your wishes.

A will to divide your assets

A will gives you a lot of flexibility to divide your assets after death. Whether you want to leave everything to a single person or divide your inheritance between 15 members of your family, a will has you covered.

If you die without a will, your assets will be divided according to the rules of the Civil Code of Québec. Those rules are called “legal devolution” and set the order in which the property will be divided, based on family relationship.

Here are four examples to get a better understanding of legal devolution:

Example 1: In a legal union (marriage, civil union or parental union) and with children

You and your partner are married, in a civil union or in a parental union. You have children together.

After your death, here’s how your assets will be divided:

• A third for your partner.
• Two thirds for your children, separated equally.

Your siblings and your parents won’t inherit anything.

Example 2: In a common-law relationship with children

You have a common-law partner. You have children together.

After your death, all your assets will go to your children, separated equally.

Common-law partners aren’t entitled to receive any part of the inheritance.

Your siblings and parents won’t inherent anything.

Example 3: Children, but no partner

You have children but you don’t have a partner.

After your death, your children will inherit all your assets, separated equally.

Your siblings and your parents won’t inherit anything.

Example 4: In a legal union, but no children

You and your partner are married, in a civil union or in a parental union. You don’t have children.

After your death, here’s how your assets will be divided:

• Two thirds for your partner.
• One third for your parents that are still alive, separated equally.

If only one of your parents is still alive, they will receive the deceased parent’s part of the inheritance.

Your siblings won’t inherent anything.

Example 5: Parents and siblings

You don’t have a partner or children.

You have parents that are still alive, as well as siblings.

Here’s how your assets will be divided after your death:

• Half for your parents, separated equally.
• Half for your siblings, separated equally.

If one of your parents is dead, the parent who is still alive will receive the deceased parent’s part of the inheritance.

If one of your siblings is dead, their part of the inheritance will go to their children (your nieces and nephews).

A will to name a tutor

In your will, you can choose who will take care of your children after both you and your partner die.

Minors must always have a tutor. Parents usually play that role. They are responsible for housing, feeding, and educating them. Parents also administer their children’s assets in most situations.

If one parent dies, the other parent automatically becomes the children’s tutor.

You can also choose a tutor by naming one in your protection mandate or filling out the Curateur public’s form.

If no tutor is named in your will, the Court will choose a tutor for your children.

Choosing a liquidator

A will lets you name someone you trust to manage your assets and money after your death. This person is called a liquidator. Being a liquidator is a time-consuming task that can sometimes be complicated. That’s why it’s important to name someone who will be a good fit for the position.

If you die without a will, all your heirs will become the liquidators. However, the heirs can name a single liquidator by a majority vote to make it easier to decide on things.

In some cases, families might tear each other apart and refuse to work together. If the heirs can’t reach an agreement, the court can name a liquidator.

A will, a useful tool for insolvent estates

It’s useful to have a will even if you have few assets but a lot of debt. A will can make it much easier for your family to make decisions, since your heirs only have six months to accept or refuse your estate.

After your death, your heirs will not know exactly what your finances look like. They won’t necessarily know that you have more debt than assets. Doing an inventory of your assets and of your debt will help your heirs know if you have an insolvent estate.

If you didn’t name a liquidator in your will, all your heirs will become liquidators. It could be very time-consuming to get everybody’s consent at every step.

Having a liquidator named in the will from the get go makes all the necessary steps much faster. They will also be able to inform your heirs about the assets and debt of the estate to avoid unpleasant surprises.