Legal Resources

This page provides information on family law legal issues as they apply to Aboriginal people. Covers caring for children, parenting arrangements, child and spousal support, property, and income assistance.

As an executor, you’re in charge of looking after the will maker’s affairs after they pass away. Learn an executor’s duties before you agree to act as one.

A webinar to help you learn how to arrange your estate and prepare a will, and the various ins and outs of setting up a trust specifically for your loved one with a disability. It covers the different types of trusts available, and how to arrange your will so it doesn’t affect disability benefits.

A “wills notice” identifies that a will has been registered and describes the person who made the will, where it’s located, and the date of the will. This website explains how to file one, how to search for one, and when to request one.

Describes how wills and estates on reserve are different from those off reserve for status Indians who ordinarily lived on reserve at the time of their death.

Explains wills, and the executor or administrator responsibilities. This page includes what to do if there was no will or executor, and how the estate can be distributed. Sub pages explain probating a will, and in Make a Will Week there are links to help you write a will.

Questions and answers on wills-and-estates topics. Volunteer legal professionals provide answers to questions from the public relating to wills, dealing with death, settling an estate, and personal planning.

Practical, step-by-step guides on wills and estates. Learn about several topics including how to prepare a will, choose an executor, change or cancel a will, and probate a will.

Explains your rights, and what you’re entitled to, if your common-law spouse dies. It explains the different definitions of “spouse,” and describes what happens if your spouse left a will, or if they died without a will. It explains pension, survivor, and CPP benefits. It also explains custody and guardianship of children.

Explains what the law says about how someone’s estate is distributed if they die without a will (intestate). A person doesn’t need to be married to be considered a spouse, and the court may need to appoint someone to look after any children. It also explains the duties of an administrator, and more.