Can you do this yourself?

Ten quick questions. They tell you whether a will you prepare yourself is the right route, before you create an account.

Are you 18 or older? *

Yes No

Do you live in Ontario? *

Yes No

Why we ask

Ontario's rules decide what makes a will valid and who may witness it. For another province the forms differ.

Is this your own decision, made freely, with nobody pressing you to make it or telling you what to put in it? *

Yes No

Why we ask

A will made under pressure can be set aside. If someone is leaning on you, a lawyer should see you alone.

Your situation *

Do you have a child under 18? *

Yes No

Do you own a business, or shares in a private company? *

Yes No

Why we ask

Shares in a private company can pass under a separate will that avoids the estate administration tax. This service makes one will; the business passes under it.

Do you own property outside Canada? *

Yes No

Is there a spouse, a child or someone who depends on you financially whom you intend to leave out, or to give much less than the others? *

Yes No

Why we ask

Ontario law lets a spouse or a dependant ask the court for support out of an estate that leaves them short. That needs a lawyer's planning, not a template.

Will anyone receiving a share have a disability and receive ODSP or similar benefits? *

Yes No

Why we ask

An outright gift can cost them their benefits. A special trust (a Henson trust) avoids that; a lawyer sets it up.

Do you expect anyone to challenge your will? *

Yes No

Do you have a will in another country? *

Yes No

Why we ask

A new will revokes earlier wills unless it says otherwise. A foreign will may need to stay; a lawyer checks that.

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