A few years ago I sat with a family who had just lost their father suddenly. He was in his fifties. No will. No powers of attorney. No named guardian for the youngest two children still at home. A house in his name only and an RRSP with no beneficiary designation.
What followed was months of bureaucratic grief on top of the ordinary kind. The estate went through probate. The family squabbled — not maliciously, but inevitably, because there were no instructions. The children's situation had to be sorted by the courts before the family could even agree on temporary arrangements.
He was a good man. He loved his family. He just hadn't gotten around to it.
I've thought about that family a lot since our daughter was born. And I'll be honest: we had our wills done within the year. Not because I was morbid, but because leaving your family with nothing to go on is an act of negligence you can prevent for a few hundred dollars and an afternoon.
This article is not legal advice. I'm a pastor, not a lawyer — please consult an estate lawyer for the actual documents. But I want to walk you through what you actually need, without the jargon, so that you understand it and get it done.
Why People Don't Do This
The usual reason is that it feels morbid. Planning for your death seems like inviting it, or dwelling on it in an unhealthy way. Some people are also vaguely superstitious about it — as if not having a will keeps death at bay.
It doesn't.
The other reason is inertia. It's not urgent today. It won't be urgent tomorrow. And so it doesn't happen until something forces the issue — which, by definition, will be too late.
Here's a reframe that helped me: estate planning isn't about death. It's about love. It's about saying, "If something happens to me, I've already taken care of you." That's not morbid. That's deeply faithful stewardship.
Proverbs 13:22 says a good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children. That's more than money — it's provision, it's planning, it's the deliberate act of caring for the people who come after you.
What You Actually Need: Five Steps
Step 1: Name a Guardian for Your Kids
If you have minor children, this is the most important thing in your will. Full stop.
If both you and your spouse die without naming a guardian, the courts decide who raises your children. The courts will do their best, but they don't know your family, your faith, your values, or who your children are closest to. You do.
Name a guardian. Name a backup guardian in case your first choice isn't able to serve. Have the conversation with the people you're naming before you put it in the will — don't surprise them. And think about whether the guardian of your children should also be the trustee of any money you're leaving for them, or whether those should be separate roles. Often, they should be.
Step 2: Name an Executor
Your executor is the person who administers your estate — pays your debts, files your final tax return with the CRA, distributes your assets according to your will. It's a real job and takes real time.
Choose someone you trust who is also organised and capable. That's not always the same person. Being a good sibling doesn't make someone a good estate administrator. Name an alternate executor too.
You can name a trust company as executor, especially if your estate is complex or your family relationships are complicated enough that you don't want to put the job on any of them. That's a legitimate choice.
Step 3: Get a Power of Attorney for Property and Personal Care
Your will only takes effect when you die. What happens if you're incapacitated — in a coma, or cognitively impaired — and can't make decisions for yourself?
That's what powers of attorney are for. In Ontario (and with variations across provinces), you need two separate documents:
- Power of Attorney for Property: Authorises someone to manage your finances, pay your bills, and handle your assets while you're alive but incapacitated.
- Power of Attorney for Personal Care: Authorises someone to make medical and care decisions on your behalf if you can't make them yourself — including end-of-life decisions.
These are as important as your will, and often overlooked. Name someone you trust completely for each, and again, talk to them before you do it.
Step 4: Update Your Beneficiary Designations
Here's something a lot of people don't know: your RRSP, TFSA, RRIF, and life insurance policies pass outside your will. That means the beneficiary designation on those accounts supersedes whatever your will says.
If your RRSP still has your mother listed as beneficiary from when you opened the account at 24, and you've since gotten married and had children — your spouse and kids get nothing from that account when you die. Your mother does.
Update your beneficiary designations. Do it now, while you're thinking about it. Name your spouse as primary beneficiary and your children (or a trust for your children, if they're minors) as contingent beneficiaries. Talk to your RRSP/TFSA provider about how to do this correctly, especially if minors are involved — there are specific rules about how assets can be held for children.
This is also worth knowing: assets that pass directly to a named beneficiary generally bypass probate, which means they get to your family faster and without probate fees. Another reason to keep those designations current.
Step 5: Tell Someone Where Everything Is
You've done the work. The documents are signed and witnessed. Now: does anyone know where they are?
Write down the location of your will, your POAs, your insurance policies, your account information, and any other relevant documents. Give a copy to your executor. Tell your spouse. Consider a secure document folder — physical or digital — that your family can access when they need it.
If you use a password manager, make sure your spouse or a trusted person can access it. If your bank accounts are online-only and they don't know the login, that's a problem.
Where to Get the Documents Done
For the will and powers of attorney, I recommend working with an estate lawyer — especially if you have any complexity: children, significant assets, a business, blended family, property in multiple provinces. The cost is typically $500–$1,500 for a simple will package, which is a trivial amount relative to what you're protecting.
If your situation is simple and the cost is a barrier, Willful is a well-regarded Canadian online will service that produces valid legal documents at a lower price point. It's not a substitute for legal advice when things are complicated, but for a straightforward situation, it's a legitimate option and infinitely better than nothing.
Whatever you do, don't use an American template downloaded from the internet. The rules around wills, probate, and beneficiary designations vary by province and don't translate.
Closing Thought
The families I've sat with in the aftermath of an unplanned death — the ones with wills and documents in order — still grieve. They still face a hard season. But they're not also fighting with bureaucracy and ambiguity and each other over what dad would have wanted.
That clarity is a gift you give your family at no cost to yourself. It costs you an afternoon and some legal fees.
If you don't have a will, make the appointment this week. If you have children and haven't named a guardian, do it before the end of the month. If your beneficiary designations haven't been touched since you were single, log in to your accounts today.
You love your family. This is part of what that looks like.
I am not a lawyer. This article is for general information purposes only and is not legal advice. Please consult a qualified estate lawyer in your province for documents specific to your situation.
Author: Dan Taylor
Site: Wise and Faithful
Published: April 9, 2026
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