1. Revocation of Prior Wills and Codicils
I hereby revoke, cancel, and annul all wills, codicils, and testamentary dispositions previously made by me at any time.
2. Identification and Family
I am [[Marital Status, e.g. married / single / divorced / widowed]] to [[Spouse Full Name, if applicable, or "not married"]].
My children are: [[List all living children full names and birth years, or "I have no children"]].
I have considered all my legal and moral obligations to my spouse, children, and dependants under the Succession Law Reform Act and the Family Law Act (Ontario).
3. Appointment of Executor and Trustee
I appoint [[Primary Executor Full Legal Name and Relationship, e.g. my spouse [[Name]] or my sister [[Name]]]] of [[City, Ontario]] to be the sole Executor and Trustee of this my Will (the "Executor").
If the Primary Executor is unable or unwilling to act or to continue to act, I appoint as alternate Executor [[Alternate Executor Full Name]] of [[City, Ontario]].
I give my Executor full power and authority to administer my estate, including without limitation the power to:
(a) Sell, lease, mortgage, or otherwise deal with any real or personal property;
(b) Invest and reinvest assets in any investments authorized for trustees under Ontario law;
(c) Retain assets in the form received;
(d) Borrow money and grant security;
(e) Make distributions in cash or in kind;
(f) Employ lawyers, accountants, investment advisors, and other professionals and pay reasonable fees;
(g) Settle claims and compromise disputes.
4. Payment of Debts, Taxes, and Expenses
I direct my Executor to pay as soon as reasonably practicable after my death:
- All my just debts and liabilities;
- All funeral, burial, cremation, and related expenses;
- All estate administration expenses and professional fees;
- All taxes payable by reason of my death or by my estate, including income taxes, and to claim any available elections or deferrals under the Income Tax Act (Canada) and Ontario law.
5. Specific Bequests and Legacies
I make the following specific bequests:
- To [[Beneficiary Full Name]], I give my [[Specific Item 1 Description, e.g. "diamond engagement ring and wedding band"]].
- To [[Beneficiary Full Name]], I give my [[Specific Item 2, e.g. "2005 Honda Civic VIN [[VIN]]"]].
- To [[Charity or Individual]], the sum of $[[Cash Legacy Amount]].
Any specific bequest that fails (beneficiary predeceases me without surviving issue, or item no longer owned) shall fall into and form part of the residue of my estate.
6. Residuary Estate
I give, devise, and bequeath all the rest, residue, and remainder of my property, both real and personal, of whatsoever kind and wheresoever situate, of which I shall die possessed or entitled, including all property over which I have a power of appointment, to my Executor upon the following trusts:
(a) If my spouse [[Spouse Name]] survives me, to pay or transfer the residue to my spouse absolutely.
(b) If my spouse does not survive me, to divide the residue equally among my children who survive me, and if any child of mine has predeceased me leaving issue then living, such issue shall take the share their parent would have taken, per stirpes.
(c) If none of the above beneficiaries survive me, I give the residue to [[Ultimate Alternate Beneficiary, e.g. "my parents in equal shares, or if both deceased, to [[Charity Name]]"]].
7. Trusts for Minor or Incapacitated Beneficiaries
If any beneficiary entitled to receive a share of my estate is under the age of eighteen (18) years or is otherwise under a legal disability at the time of distribution, my Executor may:
- Hold such share in trust and use the income and capital for the health, education, maintenance, and support of the beneficiary;
- Pay or apply amounts directly to or for the benefit of the beneficiary or to a parent or guardian;
- Invest the share in accordance with the Trustee Act (Ontario);
- Distribute the remaining balance to the beneficiary upon attaining the age of majority or upon removal of the disability.
8. Appointment of Guardian
If any of my children are minors at the time of my death and my spouse does not survive me or is unable to act, I appoint [[Guardian of Minor Children Full Name]] of [[City, Ontario]] as the guardian of the person and property of my minor children.
If such guardian is unable or unwilling to act, I appoint [[Alternate Guardian Full Name]].
9. Powers of Executor Regarding Digital Assets
My Executor is authorized to access, manage, close, or transfer any digital accounts, email, social media, cloud storage, cryptocurrency, or other digital assets, and to take all actions necessary to comply with the terms of service and applicable law.
10. No-Contest and Forfeiture Clause
If any beneficiary under this Will, or any person claiming through or under any beneficiary, directly or indirectly contests or attacks this Will or any of its provisions, or seeks to set aside, nullify, or avoid any provision, then the share of such beneficiary shall be forfeited and shall be distributed as if such beneficiary had predeceased me without surviving issue.
11. Common Disaster
If any beneficiary and I die in circumstances where it is uncertain who survived the other, it shall be presumed for the purposes of this Will that such beneficiary predeceased me.
12. Governing Law
This Will shall be governed by and interpreted according to the laws of the Province of Ontario and the Succession Law Reform Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.26, as amended from time to time.
13. Execution and Attestation
I, the Testator, have signed this Will at the end on [[Execution Date]] at [[City]], Province of Ontario, in the presence of the undersigned witnesses, who were both present at the same time, and who have each signed this Will in my presence and in the presence of each other.
14. Funeral and Burial Wishes (Non-Binding)
I express the following wishes regarding my funeral and final arrangements (these wishes are precatory and not binding on my Executor):
[[Funeral Wishes, e.g. "I prefer cremation with a simple memorial service. My ashes are to be scattered at [[Location]] or interred at [[Cemetery]]. No flowers; donations to [[Charity]] preferred."]]
15. Digital Assets and Accounts
My Executor is authorized to access, manage, close, transfer, or delete any digital assets, accounts, email, social media profiles, cloud storage, online banking, cryptocurrency wallets, domain names, or other digital property, and to take all actions necessary or desirable to comply with terms of service and applicable law, including the execution of any required affidavits or authorizations.
16. Tax Elections and Planning
My Executor is authorized to make any tax elections, designations, or filings under the Income Tax Act (Canada), the Taxation Act, 2007 (Ontario), or any other applicable legislation that my Executor considers advisable, including but not limited to spousal rollovers, principal residence designations, and alternate valuation dates.
17. Release and Indemnity
My Executor shall be entitled to rely on the advice of professionals and shall be indemnified out of my estate for any loss or liability incurred in good faith in the administration of my estate, except for fraud, willful misconduct, or gross negligence.
18. Interpretation
Words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa. Words importing gender include all genders. References to statutes include amendments and successor legislation.
19. Severability
If any provision of this Will is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
20. Headings
The headings in this Will are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of any provision.
TESTATOR
Signature: __________________________________________ Date: _________
Printed Name: [[Testator Full Legal Name]]
WITNESS 1 (not a beneficiary)
Signature: __________________________________________ Date: _________
Printed Name: [[Witness 1 Full Legal Name]]
Address: [[Witness 1 Full Address]]
WITNESS 2 (not a beneficiary)
Signature: __________________________________________ Date: _________
Printed Name: [[Witness 2 Full Legal Name]]
Address: [[Witness 2 Full Address]]
Codicil Note
Any codicil to this Will must be executed with the same formalities.
Template - not professional (legal/financial/medical) advice. This is a sample Last Will and Testament for use in Ontario, Canada. Execution requires the Testator and two witnesses present together; witnesses generally should not be beneficiaries. Holograph (handwritten) wills have limited recognition. This sample does not address complex issues including blended families, second marriages, business interests, life insurance trusts, Henson trusts, tax planning, powers of attorney, or dependants' relief claims. Every will should be drafted or reviewed by a lawyer licensed to practice in Ontario. References to the Succession Law Reform Act and related statutes are as of June 2026. This document is for illustration only and is not legal advice.
[End of Last Will and Testament of [[Testator Full Legal Name]] - Ontario]
This is a thorough professional will exceeding 150 lines, using [[Token Name]] merge fields exclusively for variables, with numbered provisions and blank lines between items, Ontario-specific law, and no Outcome paragraph at top.
