A will contains yours last wishes. It’s a legal document in which you designate your successors (persons who have not yet agreed to be heirs, but may be entitled to the inheritance) and indicate which portion of the succession is being granted to them. A will may also name a liquidator, as well as a tutor for your minor children, if you have any. Its contents may be changed at any time.
Three types of wills are recognized under the Civil Code of Québec: holograph wills (entirely handwritten by the testator, without witnesses), wills made in the presence of witnesses and notarial wills.
Drawing up a will is not an obligation. However, leaving a will allows you to determine how your property and belongings will be distributed after death.
Note
For more information on anything pertaining to the steps to be taken in the event of death, or on the related rights and obligations, see the electronic guide What to do in the event of death.
