Originally published: February 28, 2019 | Last updated: May 21, 2025
Make a Will Week together with its longer Make a Will Month extension exists because most Canadian adults fail to maintain valid and current Wills. The research shows that most people in their adult years fail to establish proper estate planning because they ignore this matter. The research data shows that most people in their adult years have Wills which need updates. The Canadian legal sector together with estate planning service providers support this annual campaign which encourages citizens to spend twenty minutes for Will creation or updates.
Make a Will Week (and its extended version, Make a Will Month) exists because the majority of Canadian adults do not have a valid, up-to-date Will. Survey data consistently shows that over 65% of adults lack adequate estate planning, and the true number is even higher when outdated Wills are factored in. This annual awareness campaign, supported by legal organizations and estate planning services across Canada, aims to motivate people to take the 20 minutes needed to create or update their Will.
Why Is Having a Will So Important?
A Will is the only legal document that lets you control what happens to your estate after death. It names your executor, distributes your assets to the people and charities you choose, and designates guardians for your minor children. Without a Will, provincial intestate succession laws make all of these decisions for you, and the results rarely match what most people would have wanted. See our top ten reasons to prepare a Will.
A Will serves as your only legal instrument which enables you to direct how your estate will distribute after you pass away. The document shows your chosen executor while it splits your property between selected beneficiaries and charitable organizations. The document establishes guardianship rights for children under age 18. The government establishes all decisions through intestate succession laws which determine how your estate will distribute when you pass away without a Will. The top ten reasons for Will preparation exist in this list.
The four main barriers are procrastination (“I’ll do it tomorrow”), discomfort with mortality, the assumption that it is expensive, and the belief that they do not need one. All four are addressable: an online Will takes 20 minutes, costs $49.95, and protects your family from six serious consequences. Make a Will Week is designed to break through these barriers with focused awareness.
Why Do Most People Not Have a Will?
Dying intestate creates a cascade of problems: no executor is named, your assets are frozen, a court appoints an administrator (months of delay, thousands in costs), provincial formulas divide your estate (your spouse may not inherit everything, common-law partners may receive nothing), no charitable gifts are made, and no guardian is designated for your children. For families with minor children, the guardianship issue alone justifies writing a Will immediately.
People face four major obstacles which prevent them from taking action because they choose to delay until tomorrow and they feel uncomfortable about death and they think the process costs too much and they believe they don’t require a Will. All four problems have solutions through an online Will service which takes 20 minutes to complete at a price of $49.95 and provides protection against six major family risks. The Make a Will Week initiative exists to solve these problems by creating dedicated educational programs.
The timing varies by province and organizing body. In many jurisdictions, Make a Will Month falls in September or November. Some provinces observe a single “Make a Will Week” within those months. Regardless of when your province’s campaign occurs, the message is the same: do not wait. Writing a Will is something you can do any day of the year, and the sooner you do it, the sooner your family is protected.
What Happens If You Die Without a Will?
- If you have no Will: Create one now at LegalWills.ca. It takes 20 minutes and costs $49.95.
- If your Will is outdated: Log in and update it. Review beneficiaries, executor, and guardians.
- If your Will is current: Complete your estate plan with a Living Will and Power of Attorney.
- Talk to your family: Discuss your wishes with your executor, guardian, and close family members.
- Document digital assets: Use LifeLocker to catalogue online accounts and credentials.
Don’t wait for Make a Will Week to act. Start your Will today with our step-by-step guide.
Tim Hewson is one of the founders of LegalWills.ca.
He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets including CTV, Global News, The Toronto Star, and other leading Canadian publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books.
Throughout his career, Tim has written extensively on the subject of Will writing and estate planning.
