New Baby, New Home, New Marriage — Life Events Estate Update Checklist

Last updated July 3, 2026 · 4 min read
Quick answer
Major life events that trigger estate plan updates in Canada — marriage (revokes most wills in many provinces), divorce (changes treatment of ex-spouse in will and on some designations), birth or adoption of a child (guardianship), death of a named person (executor, guardian, beneficiary), major property purchase or sale, business start or sale, move to a different province, immigration status change, serious illness, retirement. Each event should trigger a will and beneficiary designation review within 60 days.

Life events don't politely wait for your annual estate review. A new baby, a divorce, a death in the family — each one can substantially change what your existing will should say. This checklist organizes which events trigger which updates, so the right changes happen within weeks rather than years.

When to use this checklist

After any major life event affecting you or your family. The events that should trigger this checklist:

  • Marriage or new common-law relationship
  • Divorce or end of common-law relationship
  • Birth or adoption of a child
  • Child reaches age of majority
  • Death of a named person (executor, guardian, beneficiary, witness)
  • Major asset purchase (home, business, vacation property)
  • Major asset sale
  • Move to a different Canadian province
  • Move out of Canada or change in residency status
  • Significant change in family relationships (estrangement, reconciliation)
  • Serious medical diagnosis
  • Retirement
  • Inheritance received (your estate has grown)
  • Becoming a citizen of another country
  • Becoming a Canadian citizen

The checklist — by event type

After marriage

  • Check whether your province automatically revoked your prior will
  • If revoked: write a new will explicitly
  • If not revoked: review the will for any provisions affected by marriage
  • Update beneficiary designations (RRSP, TFSA, life insurance) if you want spouse named
  • Update Powers of Attorney if you want spouse named
  • Update emergency contact and next-of-kin information at work and medical providers
  • Address joint property and assets

After divorce

  • Review will for any gifts to or roles for ex-spouse
  • Update will explicitly to reflect new wishes
  • Update RRSP, RRIF, TFSA, insurance beneficiary designations (these don't automatically update on divorce)
  • Update Powers of Attorney if ex-spouse was named
  • Address jointly-held assets (real estate, accounts) — change ownership structure
  • Update emergency contact and next-of-kin

After a baby or child adoption

  • Name legal guardian and backup guardian in the will
  • Inform the proposed guardian and get their agreement
  • Update beneficiary designations to include child if applicable
  • Consider whether a trust is appropriate for the child's inheritance
  • Consider whether to start an RESP
  • Increase life insurance if needed
  • Review whether existing will provisions for "children" capture this child correctly

After a death in your family

  • If the deceased was your executor: name a new executor
  • If the deceased was your backup executor: name a new backup
  • If the deceased was your guardian: name a new guardian
  • If the deceased was a beneficiary: address what should happen to their share
  • If the deceased was a witness to your will (some provinces): check if the will is still valid; consider re-execution
  • Update the will explicitly rather than relying on default provincial provisions

After major property purchase

  • Review will for any property-specific provisions
  • Address ownership structure (joint tenancy vs. tenants in common)
  • Update home insurance and any related estate considerations
  • Update Life Discovery Kit with new property details
  • Consider whether a mortgage at death is addressed in the estate plan

After major property sale

  • Review will for provisions about the sold property (no longer relevant)
  • Address the sale proceeds in updated estate plan
  • Update Life Discovery Kit

After moving to a new Canadian province

  • Have your will reviewed for compatibility with new province's law (most wills are valid across Canada but some details vary)
  • Update Power of Attorney (provincial-specific documents)
  • Update advance care directive
  • Update provincial health card, driver's licence, vehicle registration
  • Update tax residency if applicable

After business start or sale

  • Update will to address business ownership
  • Consider whether a shareholders agreement, buy-sell agreement, or insurance is needed
  • Address business succession (continue, sell, wind up)
  • Update business contacts in Life Discovery Kit

After retirement

  • Make pension survivor benefit decisions (often irrevocable)
  • Plan for RRSP-to-RRIF conversion (and update designations)
  • Review estate plan for new asset composition
  • Consider whether new estate planning tools are appropriate (a joint spousal or common-law partner trust for couples 65+ — or an alter-ego trust for one person[6] — charitable planning, etc.)
  • Update Life Discovery Kit

After serious diagnosis

  • Review and update Power of Attorney for Personal Care (advance care directive)
  • Update will if priorities have changed
  • Discuss wishes with family explicitly
  • Consider tax-efficient gifting during life
  • Consider planning for MAID (if relevant to your situation)

Download a print-ready PDF

Download the Life Events Estate Update checklist PDF →

Want a checklist customized for your situation?

This is the standard version. It's Simple Will customers can flag a life event in their account and trigger a personalized update flow that addresses exactly what changes are needed — based on what's currently in their will and what the new life event implies. Much more efficient than walking through every category.

Learn more about It's Simple Will →

Citations & sources

  1. [1]What to do when someone dies — Estates and wills — Government of Canada
  2. [2]Canadian Bar Association — Wills, Estates and Trusts Section — Canadian Bar Association
  3. [3]Succession Law Reform Act, RSO 1990, c S.26 (marriage-revocation s 16 repealed by SO 2021, c 4, Sch 9, effective January 1, 2022) — Government of Ontario
  4. [4]Wills, Estates and Succession Act, SBC 2009, c 13 (no revocation by marriage, in force 2014) — BC Laws — King's Printer
  5. [5]Wills and Succession Act, SA 2010, c W-12.2 (Alberta, in force February 1, 2012) — Alberta King's Printer
  6. [6]Income Tax Act, RSC 1985, c 1 (5th Supp), s 73 — Alter-ego and joint spousal/common-law partner trusts (age-65 condition) — Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada

Frequently asked questions

Does marriage really revoke my existing will?

In most Canadian provinces — yes, traditionally. Marriage automatically revoked an existing will in most provinces, unless the will explicitly contemplated the marriage ('made in contemplation of marriage to [spouse]'). Some provinces have eliminated this rule recently — Alberta, BC, and Ontario have repealed automatic revocation on marriage — though Ontario's repeal applies only to marriages on or after January 1, 2022, so a will already revoked by an earlier marriage stays revoked. Check your province's current rules. Common-law relationships generally do not have the same effect.

What about divorce?

Divorce typically does NOT revoke the entire will but DOES typically void gifts to the ex-spouse and appointments of the ex-spouse as executor or guardian. Each province's rules vary slightly. After divorce, review the will and update explicitly — don't rely on default provincial rules to handle it correctly.

What if my ex-spouse is still named as RRSP beneficiary?

They will receive the funds. RRSP/RRIF/insurance beneficiary designations are separate from the will and are generally not automatically updated on divorce in most provinces. The institution pays the named beneficiary regardless of subsequent relationship changes. Update designations explicitly after divorce.

When my child is born, what's the priority?

Two things specifically — name a legal guardian (and a backup), and update beneficiary designations to include the new child if applicable. Without a will-specified guardian, courts decide who raises your child if both parents die — typically defaulting to family members but with no certainty about which one. Guardianship designations are arguably the most important reason for new parents to write or update wills.

I just bought a new home. Do I need to update?

Probably yes. The home is typically your largest single asset and affects how the residue of your estate works. If you sold a previous home, the will may have specific provisions about a property that no longer exists. Take 15 minutes to review.

When does retirement trigger estate updates?

Several reasons — pension survivor benefit decisions (often irrevocable, made at retirement), conversion of RRSPs to RRIFs (with new beneficiary designations), changes in asset composition, often a change in residence or province, possibly a wealth transfer plan for adult children. Retirement is one of the major estate planning inflection points.

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