{"id":9593,"date":"2020-08-12T19:00:12","date_gmt":"2020-08-12T23:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/?p=9593"},"modified":"2021-04-22T10:28:39","modified_gmt":"2021-04-22T14:28:39","slug":"what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario\/","title":{"rendered":"WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DIE WITHOUT A WILL IN ONTARIO? READ OUR INTENSE ANALYSIS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>We hope that you and your family remain safe and healthy during this COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 The <\/b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/contact_us.html\"><b>Ira Smith Team<\/b><\/a><b> is fully operational.\u00a0 Both Ira and Brandon Smith are available to answer any questions you may have, for consultations or meetings.\u00a0 We are available by telephone, email or video meeting.\u00a0 Feel free to <\/b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/contact_us.html\"><b>contact us<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BKOjr8TP8qc\" width=\"962\" height=\"541\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>what happens if you die without a will in ontario<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 id='what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-introduction'  id=\"boomdevs_1\"><b><i>What happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/i><\/b><b> introduction<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I have been speaking to many lawyers to see what is happening in their marketplace since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 What they tell me is that many areas of their practice are quiet:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Litigation and family law has slowed down because of the closure of the courts (other than for emergency matters).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both the courts being closed and people and companies obtaining government financial support through <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/covid-19-resources\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canada&#8217;s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have slowed insolvency matters right down.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also have said that there are not many large commercial real estate deals being done either, perhaps other than many lease amendments for mall landlords!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The one area though they say is very busy, due to the coronavirus pandemic, are the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/administration-of-estates-act-canada\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wills and estates lawyers<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 People are scared and this pandemic has made all of us face our own mortality.\u00a0 Therefore the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/estates-act-ontario-2\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wills and estate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> planning areas are quite busy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Based on that discussion, I thought it would be timely to write Brandon&#8217;s Blog about <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/how-to-save-money-in-canada\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens if you die in the province of Ontario without a will<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Composing will is commonly put-off because it is either expensive or troublesome. For sure it is not the most pleasant discussion to have.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The purpose of this Brandon&#8217;s Blog is to offer general details about <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/do-you-inherit-debt-in-canada-cra-property-transfers\/\"><b><i>what happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/i><\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. I am not a lawyer so this Brandon&#8217;s Blog is general in nature. It definitely is not meant to and must not be used as or to replace appropriate legal recommendations.\u00a0 So if you do not have a will or your will is terribly out of date, please consult with a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wills and estates lawyer<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario'  id=\"boomdevs_2\"><b><i>What happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/i><\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you pass away without a will, the law states that you have passed away <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/dying-without-a-will-in-ontario\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">intestate<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This means that you left no guidelines as to exactly how your property is to be divided and dispersed. In these circumstances, the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/succession-law-reform-act\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ontario Succession Law Reform Act<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> regulates how your property will be dispersed to your surviving loved ones. Even if you desire your assets split according to Ontario legislation, you need to still have a will because it will certainly minimize hold-ups and the costs involved in dealing with your affairs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/laws\/statute\/90s26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Succession Law Reform Act,<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> R.S.O. 1990, c. S.26 will dictate things and that is <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/debt-problems-8-mistakes-to-avoid-when-you-are-having-money-problems\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='dying-intestate-who-does-that'  id=\"boomdevs_3\"><strong><em>Dying intestate\u2026who does that?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;Intestate&#8221; is a legal term that means \u201cwithout a will.\u201d According to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.naepc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Association of Estate Planners<\/a>, approximately 1 in 50 people in the USA die without a will. And many of those people are famous, including modern movie stars and other famous people. The following list includes some famous people who died intestate:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jimi Hendrix<\/li>\n<li>Bob Marley<\/li>\n<li>Sonny Bono<\/li>\n<li>Stieg Larson<\/li>\n<li>Pablo Picasso<\/li>\n<li>Adam Goldstein aka DJ AM (who?)<\/li>\n<li>Michael Jackson<\/li>\n<li>Steve McNair<\/li>\n<li>Howard Hughes<\/li>\n<li>Abraham Lincoln\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_9599\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9599\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/probateinontario.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9599\" src=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"what happens if you die without a will in ontario\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" data-wp-pid=\"9599\" data-pin-nopin=\"nopin\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-1200x675-cropped.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9599\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>what happens if you die without a will in ontario<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id='how-is-an-estate-is-distributed-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario'  id=\"boomdevs_4\"><b><i>How is an estate is distributed If you die without a will in Ontario<\/i><\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When an individual passes away without a valid will, it is called <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/trustee-act-ontario\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">intestate<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Ontario&#8217;s Succession Law Reform Act (the Act)<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lays out how the estate is dispersed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the Act, unless someone who is financially dependent on the dead person makes a claim, the initial $200,000 of value is given to the departed individual&#8217;s spouse if she or he has chosen to claim his\/her privilege. This is called the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">preferential share<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 The other possibility is to declare half of the net family property under the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Family_Law_Act_(Ontario)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Family Law Act<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Ontario).\u00a0 A lawyer will be very helpful in helping the spouse decide which is the better choice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anything over $200,000 is shared between the spouse and the descendants (e.g. children, grandchildren) according to specific policies.\u00a0 If there is no partner, the departed person&#8217;s kids will acquire the estate. If any one of them has died, that child&#8217;s descendants (e.g. the dead individual&#8217;s grandchildren) will inherit their share.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assuming there are no legal challenges to rights to the property, this is <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/what-happens-to-mortgage-when-you-die-canada\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 Where a spouse, children and grandchildren are involved, this is not a good place to leave them in.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='what-is-a-wife-entitled-to-if-her-husband-dies-without-a-will'  id=\"boomdevs_5\"><b><i>What is a wife entitled to if her husband dies without a will<\/i><\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding to what I just described, the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/divorce-debt-equalization-bankruptcy\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Family Law Act<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> defines a spouse as a married individual, and the term spouse in this family law legislation does not mean <em>co-habiting parties<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0<em>common-law spouses<\/em>. Under this Act, a married spouse is entitled to get one-half of the amount through which the <em>deceased person<\/em>&#8216;s net family assets exceed the net family assets of the surviving spouse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This equalization payment makes certain that the spouse who is alive has the opportunity to share equally in any in the value of the assets that the couple made over their marriage. As I previously stated, the surviving spouse should elect to accept this payment OR to take what they are entitled to under the Act.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under Ontario family law, assuming the surviving spouse does not own the matrimonial home outright or as a joint tenant with the deceased spouse, the family law statute in Ontario gives the surviving spouse certain rights.\u00a0 In that case, that spouse also has the right to continue to be in the matrimonial home for a period of 60 days following the death of their spouse, on a rent-free basis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So as you can tell, there will be a lot of pain and uncertainty to the surviving spouse and that is <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/dying-without-a-will-in-ontario\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2 id='who-will-be-in-charge-of-my-estate'  id=\"boomdevs_6\"><b><i>Who will be in charge of my Estate<\/i><\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Someone, such as a close loved one, will need to apply the court to be designated as the estate trustee without a will (Estate Trustee). The <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/probate-in-ontario-smith-estate-trustee-ontario\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Estate Trustee<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has the exact same tasks as an executor, the only difference is that the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/estate-trustee-3\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Estate Trustee<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can&#8217;t start to act until the court gives permission.\u00a0 This can take a while, such as a busy court in the city of Toronto. As well as if nobody steps up, then the court will certainly have to designate a public trustee.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/court-appointed-estate-trustee\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Estate Trustee<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is appointed, they can then apply for probate in Ontario.\u00a0 Probate is a process to ask the court to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide a person with the authority to serve as the Estate Trustee of an estate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or validate the authority of a person called the Estate Trustee in the deceased&#8217;s will.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Formally accept that the deceased&#8217;s will as their legitimate last will<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court then issues a <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/trustee-of-deceased-estate\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee With A Will<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when there is a will.\u00a0 As I mentioned above, if the person dies intestate, then the court issues the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/dying-without-a-will-in-ontario\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee Without A Will<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is a picture of what a Certificate looks like.\u00a0 It is redacted from one of our Estate Trustee files where the original Estate Trustees named in the will renounced their role:<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9598\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9598\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-9598 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-cert.jpg\" alt=\"what happens if you die without a will in ontario\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1328\" data-wp-pid=\"9598\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-cert.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-cert-231x300.jpg 231w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-cert-790x1024.jpg 790w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-cert-768x996.jpg 768w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-cert-1184x1536.jpg 1184w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-cert-1200x1556.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-cert-150x195.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9598\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>what happens if you die without a will in ontario<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the Certificate, the Estate Trustee can prove to anyone of his or her authority.\u00a0 This is especially important because that is the document all banks look for before handing over money from the deceased&#8217;s bank accounts to the Estate Trustee.\u00a0 In the case of someone dying intestate, the appointing court order will serve as proof until the court then issues the Certificate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ira Smith Trustee &amp; Receiver Inc.<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> accepts assignments in acting as an Estate Trustee.\u00a0 The skills needed are very similar to ones we already have in acting as a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">licensed insolvency trustee<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 We do our Estate Trustee assignments under the name <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/probateinontario.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smith Estate Trustee Ontario<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having a will certainly enables a person to start acting on your behalf instantly after you pass away.\u00a0 If not, this is <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/probate-in-ontario-smith-estate-trustee-ontario\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens when you die without a will in Ontario<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9599\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9599\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/probateinontario.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9599\" src=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"what happens if you die without a will in ontario\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" data-wp-pid=\"9599\" data-pin-nopin=\"nopin\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-1200x675-cropped.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9599\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>what happens if you die without a will in ontario<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id='duties-of-the-estate-trustee'  id=\"boomdevs_7\"><b><i>Duties of the Estate Trustee<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Estate Trustee we determine and locate all of the assets of the deceased.\u00a0 We must also identify all of his or her liabilities also. We need to make sure that\u00a0<em>funeral arrangements <\/em>have been made and that the<em> funeral costs <\/em>and any other<em> funeral expenses<\/em>\u00a0have been paid. \u00a0We must understand the true nature of the assets and their market value.\u00a0 The administration of <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wills-and-estates\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wills and estates<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (unless otherwise directed in a will) dictates that we must then sell them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Estate Trustee also needs to prepare all necessary income tax returns, pay all taxes owing as well as other debts.\u00a0 If there need to be any investigations, or if the estate is involved in litigation, the Estate Trustee must complete and manage those processes also.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The balance of funds left over after settlement of the liabilities and payment of all expenses, including those of the Estate Trustee and its legal counsel, creates the assets readily available for distribution from the estate. The Estate Trustee is a fiduciary and must perform the duties impartially.\u00a0 The Estate Trustee is also personally liable if any mistakes are made which causes one or more parties to suffer damages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The duties and responsibilities of the Estate Trustee do not change whether or not there is a will.\u00a0 Without a will, <em>what happens if you die without a will in Ontario\u00a0<\/em>is that you have lost the choice to appoint who you think will do the best job for your estate.<\/p>\n<h2 id='what-happens-to-your-property-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario'  id=\"boomdevs_8\"><b><i>What happens to your property if you die without a will in Ontario<\/i><\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lots of people erroneously believe that the government takes the property from the deceased&#8217;s estate if you die without a will. Relax, that is not <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/legal-effects-when-only-one-spouse-files-for-bankruptcy\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While of course, it is always better to have a will to direct what ought to take place to your assets after death, the law attempts to equitably distribute the assets of the deceased amongst the deceased&#8217;s spouse, children or grandchildren, as I have already described and further described below.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='who-will-get-my-estate'  id=\"boomdevs_9\"><b><i>Who will get my Estate<\/i><\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without a will, you cannot pick who you&#8217;d like to receive the benefit of your estate. You can&#8217;t leave money to a charity you appreciate, you cannot leave any gifts to close friends and also you cannot allot money to cover the expense of taking care of your furry relative. Your estate will be dispersed using the provincial regulations that I already described.\u00a0 They have really little versatility and this is exactly <em>what happens when you die without a will in Ontario<\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9601\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9601\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-9601 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-300x215.jpg\" alt=\"what happens if you die without a will in ontario\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" data-wp-pid=\"9601\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-300x215.jpg 300w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-1024x732.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-1536x1098.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-1200x858.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-150x107.jpg 150w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario.jpg 1432w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9601\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>what happens if you die without a will in ontario<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id='what-do-children-get-when-a-parent-dies-without-a-will'  id=\"boomdevs_10\"><b><i>What do children get when a parent dies without a will<\/i><\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As already gone over, the Act sets up a scheme to divide the estate of a person who passes away without a will. If the deceased had assets worth less than $200,000 at the time of their death, their spouse will be entitled to the entire estate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the assets of the deceased are worth more than $200,000, after that <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">preferred share<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> amount (and the payment of all expenses of the estate), the remainder of the estate will be split as shown in the following examples:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The deceased had a spouse and an only child. They each will get 50% of the rest of the estate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the deceased had a spouse and more than one child, then you need to add up the total number of people.\u00a0 So, if there were three children, then, including the spouse, there are 4 people.\u00a0 The spouse and each child will get a 1\/4 equal share of the remainder of the estate.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under an intestacy, children have rights to both property and if applicable, support under the Act. However what occurs if an estate is worth $200,000.00 or much less and the children are entitled to support? The legislation of intestacy recommends that all the money goes to the spouse of the deceased to go towards the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">preferential share<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If required, the <em>minor children<\/em>, or their guardian, can bring a court application against the estate for assistance due to the fact that the children are specified as dependants under the Act. The child or children are primarily claiming, my deceased mom or dad had a legal commitment to support me at the time of his\/her fatality. I still require to be supported. The court under those instances may access the assets of the estate, and various other assets such as insurance coverage or assets owned jointly with the deceased&#8217;s spouse, to fund an order for the support of those dependent children.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you can see, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/estate-trustee-3\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can be very troubling for your loved ones, especially dependent children who do not deserve those problems.\u00a0 This alone should be a great reason for you to not hold of any longer in having an up to date will.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='who-will-take-care-of-your-dependent-children'  id=\"boomdevs_11\"><b><i>Who will take care of your dependent children<\/i><\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the dependent children don&#8217;t have another parent, the court will select a guardian for them. The guardian acquires all of the legal rights as well as the responsibilities of a mom or dad.\u00a0 There is no guarantee that the guardian will be the individual you think will certainly do it the best. The kids&#8217; inheritance will be kept in trust until they reach the age of majority.\u00a0 This is <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/bankruptcy-means-annulment\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id='what-about-other-relatives'  id=\"boomdevs_12\"><b>What About Other Relatives?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the deceased that died intestate leaves no spouse or kids living at the date of their death, then their estate is split between their parents.\u00a0 If they have no parents, it is then split among their brothers and sisters.\u00a0 If they have no brothers or sisters surviving them, it is shared amongst their nieces and nephews who are blood-related.\u00a0 If they have no blood-related nieces or nephews, after that it is dispersed amongst their next closest blood relative.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When an individual dies having no will and no blood relatives surviving them, only then will their net property end up being the property of the government.\u00a0 This is <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/cmhc-insurance\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9599\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9599\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/probateinontario.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9599\" src=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"what happens if you die without a will in ontario\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" data-wp-pid=\"9599\" data-pin-nopin=\"nopin\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-1200x675-cropped.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9599\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>what happens if you die without a will in ontario<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id='what-happens-to-debt-if-you-die'  id=\"boomdevs_13\"><b><i>What happens to debt if you die<\/i><\/b><b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am regularly asked <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/what-happens-to-debt-when-you-die-canada-are-you-free-of-debt\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens to debt if you die,<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 in addition to <em>what happens\u00a0if you die without a will in Ontario.<\/em>\u00a0 I have written several blogs on the topic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/what-happens-to-debt-when-you-die-canada-are-you-free-of-debt\/\"><b>WHAT HAPPENS TO DEBT WHEN YOU DIE CANADA: ARE YOU FREE OF DEBT<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/what-happens-to-mortgage-when-you-die-canada\/\"><b>WHAT HAPPENS TO MORTGAGE WHEN YOU DIE CANADA: DEBT PHILOSOPHY EXPLAINED<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/credit-card-debt-after-death-in-canada\/\"><b>CREDIT CARD DEBT AFTER DEATH IN CANADA: WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id='what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario-summary'  id=\"boomdevs_14\"><b><i>What happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/i><\/b><b> summary<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I don&#8217;t know if the word &#8220;enjoyed&#8221; is appropriate for this topic.\u00a0 So, I will say that I hope you found this <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Brandon&#8217;s blog informative.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our mix of empathy, experience and impartiality provides us with a distinct viewpoint and the capability to appropriately administer the estate, minimize problems and accomplish outcomes for all stakeholders in an economical way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/probateinontario.com\/#services-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professional and impartial Officer of the Court<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/probateinontario.com\/case-studies#blog-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acting as estate trustee<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Obtain probate in Ontario<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asset management<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Investigation and valuation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monetization of assets<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trust accounting<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beneficiary reporting and distribution<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Taking care of <em>what happens if you die without a will in Ontario<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/probateinontario.com\/case-studies#blog-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Estate Trustee Under Litigation<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professional and impartial Officer of the Court<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asset investigation, valuation and safeguarding<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trust accounting<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reporting to the Court and all stakeholders<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/probateinontario.com\/case-studies#blog-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conflict resolution<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protecting assets<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experienced as Officer of the Court if estate trustee has conflict \u2013 perceived or real<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Minimize costs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stakeholder strategies<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Insolvency<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning and strategy to safeguard assets<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restructuring and Turnaround<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acting as Trustee of an insolvent estate<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We provide a full range of services to provide solutions for the complex Estate issues to end the pain and frustration the stakeholders are experiencing. We apply our expertise and creative thinking to take care of all details to end your pain and achieve the goals of the beneficiaries and other stakeholders.\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.probateinontario.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact Smith Estate Trustee Ontario today<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for your free consultation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Get our free full-scale analysis of your issues and our recommended options to solve your problems allowing you to move forward confidently.\u00a0 <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/probateinontario.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check out our website by clicking here<\/b><\/a><b>.\u00a0 All our details are there.<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>We hope that you and your family remain safe and healthy during this COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 The <\/b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/contact_us.html\"><b>Ira Smith Team<\/b><\/a><b> is fully operational.\u00a0 Both <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/probateinontario.com\/#team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Ira and Brandon Smith<\/b><\/a><b> are available to answer any questions you may have, for consultations or meetings.\u00a0 We are available by telephone, email or video meeting.\u00a0 Feel free to <\/b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/contact_us.html\"><b>contact us<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9599\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9599\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/probateinontario.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-9599\" src=\"http:\/\/www.irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2.jpg\" alt=\"what happens if you die without a will in ontario\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" data-wp-pid=\"9599\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-1200x675-cropped.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario2-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9599\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">what happens if you die without a will in ontario<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We hope that you and your family remain safe and healthy during this COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 The Ira Smith Team is fully operational.\u00a0 Both Ira and Brandon Smith are available to answer any questions you may have, for consultations or meetings.\u00a0 We are available by telephone, email or video meeting.\u00a0 Feel free to contact us. what [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3782,4106,4145,4972,3775,2454,4096,4380,3781,4379,3771,3460,4375,3918,4381,4382,4377,4378,4376],"class_list":["post-9593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-brandon-blog-post","tag-certificate-of-appointment-of-estate-trustee-without-a-will","tag-covid-19","tag-covid-19-economic-response-plan","tag-dying-intestate","tag-dying-without-a-will-in-ontario","tag-estate-trustee","tag-family-law-act","tag-how-is-an-estate-is-distributed-if-you-die-without-a-will","tag-intestate","tag-ontario-succession-law-reform-act","tag-smith-estate-trustee-ontario","tag-succession-law-reform-act","tag-what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-in-ontario","tag-what-happens-to-debt-if-you-die","tag-what-is-a-wife-entitled-to-if-her-husband-dies-without-a-will","tag-who-will-be-in-charge-of-my-estate","tag-wills-and-estate","tag-wills-and-estates-lawyer","tag-wills-and-estates-lawyers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9593"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10652,"href":"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9593\/revisions\/10652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/irasmithinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}