How Often Should You Review Your Estate Plan?
The marriage, divorce, and intestacy rules below vary by province and territory and describe the common-law provinces (not Quebec, whose Civil Code regime differs). Confirm the rule in your own jurisdiction.
For Canadian estate plans, regular review prevents the most common problem — plans that worked when written but no longer match current circumstances or preferences.
Standard review schedule
Every 3-5 years for stable situations.
Annually for quick check of beneficiary designations on registered accounts.
Immediately after major life events (see below).
Every 1-2 years for businesses, complex situations, or significant changes.
Major life events that trigger review
Marriage:
- In Ontario and British Columbia, marriage does not automatically revoke a will (Ontario abolished the rule effective January 1, 2022; BC under WESA). Some other provinces retain the older marriage-revokes-a-will rule; others have abolished it — confirm your province
- Update the will after marriage regardless, to confirm preferences and prevent ambiguity
- Common-law formation: Varies by province; some provinces' intestacy treats common-law similarly to marriage after period
Common-law relationship formation:
- May affect intestacy rights (varies significantly by province)
- May affect spousal rights to estate
- Update to confirm preferences
Divorce or separation:
- Most provinces revoke provisions in favour of an ex-spouse
- In Ontario, SLRA s. 17 treats a divorced (and, since 2022, a long-separated) spouse as having predeceased the testator for gifts and executor appointments — distinct from the marriage rule above
- Specific provisions vary
- Beneficiary designations on registered accounts and insurance need separate updating
- Update Will to confirm preferences
Birth or adoption of child:
- May require new guardian appointment
- Specific provisions for new child
- Trust provisions for minor
Death of person named in Will:
- Executor died
- Beneficiary died
- Trustee died
- Update to confirm replacement
Significant asset change:
- Large inheritance received
- Business sale
- Real estate purchase or sale (especially principal residence)
- Significant investment portfolio change
- Inheritance of pension or other entitlement
Move to different province:
- Wills Act varies by province
- Specific provincial provisions may not apply
- Review with adviser familiar with new province
Immigration or emigration:
- Cross-border tax implications
- Foreign Will validity questions
- Specific provincial recognition
Significant health diagnosis:
- Time to update if changes warranted
- Power of Attorney especially important to review
- Specific care preferences may have shifted
Child reaches age of majority:
- Specific provisions for adult vs. minor child
- Trust structures may need adjustment
- Beneficiary designations can be updated
Tax law changes:
- Capital gains rate changes
- Estate tax changes
- New tax-efficient strategies become available
Specific to your situation:
- Family conflicts that change preferences
- Charity priorities shift
- Beneficiary relationships change (estranged, reconciled)
- Health of named executor changes
What to review
Will
- Executor: Still appropriate, still willing, still available?
- Backup executor: Still appropriate?
- Beneficiaries: Right people, right percentages, alive?
- Specific bequests: Items still in possession; recipients still appropriate?
- Residual beneficiary: Right person/charity?
- Guardian for minor children: Still appropriate?
- Trust provisions: Still match needs?
- Burial/funeral preferences: Still current?
Power of Attorney for Property (financial)
- Designated person still trusted and capable?
- Backup person if applicable?
- Specific authority appropriate?
- Provincial form current?
Power of Attorney for Personal Care (medical)
- Designated person still trusted and capable?
- Specific instructions reflect current preferences?
- End-of-life decisions documented?
Advanced directive / living will
- Reflects current preferences for medical interventions?
- Available where it can be found in emergency?
Beneficiary designations on registered accounts
These pass outside the Will. Need separate review:
- RRSP/RRIF: Designated beneficiary?
- TFSA: Designated successor holder vs. beneficiary?
- Life insurance: Designated beneficiary?
- Pension: Spouse beneficiary by law in most cases; designation for other?
- Other registered accounts
Common error: Designated beneficiary outdated (ex-spouse, deceased person, infant child without trust).
Joint accounts and ownership
- Joint account ownership intentional?
- Joint tenancy with right of survivorship still desired?
- Specific Pecore v. Pecore considerations for joint accounts with adult children[3]
Insurance generally
- Life insurance coverage adequate?
- Disability insurance current?
- Long-term care insurance considered?
Self-review questions
Walk through current Will and ask:
- Is the executor still appropriate?
- Is the backup executor appropriate?
- Have any beneficiaries died?
- Are beneficiaries still who I want?
- Are the percentages still right?
- Have I had major life events since this was written?
- Have I bought or sold major assets?
- Have I moved provinces?
- Have any specific bequests become moot (item sold, recipient changed)?
- Are the guardian provisions for minor children still appropriate?
- Are the trust provisions still appropriate?
- Are funeral preferences still current?
- Do I still want specific charitable bequests?
If 'no' to multiple, full review and update warranted.
When to use professional help vs. self-update
Self-update may be appropriate:
- Simple changes (beneficiary percentage adjustment)
- Online Will service originally used; same service for update
- Small estate with clear situation
Professional help warranted:
- Complex estate (business, multiple properties, large investment portfolio)
- Cross-border considerations
- Specific tax strategies
- Multiple marriages or blended family
- Recent significant change (large inheritance, divorce)
- Specific provincial change (new province)
Annual quick check
Even between major reviews, annual quick check of:
- Beneficiary designations (call/login to each institution)
- Confirm contact info current
- Confirm Will and other documents accessible to executor
- Confirm Life Discovery Kit (or equivalent) is current
15-minute annual check prevents major problems.
Common review mistakes
Updating Will but not beneficiary designations: Designations on RRSP, TFSA, life insurance, pension pass outside the Will. Must be updated separately.
Updating after first marriage but not second: Failure to update after remarriage common; can leave ex-spouse as beneficiary on accounts.
Failing to communicate updates: Executor and family don't know there's an updated Will; old Will discovered first.
Updating but not signing properly: New Will needs to be properly witnessed and signed per provincial requirements. DIY updates that fail technical requirements are common.
Multiple Wills: Older Wills not destroyed; multiple Wills cause confusion and legal disputes.
Where to keep current documents
- Original Will in safe location (home safe, safety deposit box, law firm)
- Copy with executor
- Reference of location in Life Discovery Kit
- Notification to executor that documents have been updated
- Old Will destroyed when new Will valid
What we focus on at It's Simple Will
The Will Creator makes regular updates easier — return to your account, update specific provisions, regenerate the Will. Some users complete a major update every 2-3 years; others annually.
Related guides
Citations & sources
- [1]Canadian Bar Association — Wills, Estates and Trusts Section — Canadian Bar Association
- [2]FAIR Canada — Investor Rights — FAIR Canada
- [3]Pecore v. Pecore, 2007 SCC 17, [2007] 1 SCR 795 — Supreme Court of Canada / CanLII
Frequently asked questions
What's the regular review schedule?
Every 3-5 years is standard recommendation. Some experts say every 5 years for stable situations; every 3 years for changing situations. Annual quick check of beneficiary designations is good practice. Major reviews tied to life events are most important.
What life events trigger a review?
Marriage; common-law relationship formation/breakdown; divorce or separation; birth or adoption of child; death of executor, beneficiary, or trustee; significant inheritance received; business sale or major asset change; real estate purchase/sale; move to different province; immigration/emigration; significant health diagnosis; child reaching age of majority; spouse retirement; major tax law changes.
What about marriage specifically?
It depends on the province. In Ontario and British Columbia, marriage does NOT automatically revoke a will (Ontario abolished that rule effective January 1, 2022; BC under WESA). Some other provinces retain the older rule that marriage revokes a prior will, while others have abolished it — so check your province. Either way, update your will after marriage to confirm preferences and prevent ambiguity.
Does divorce affect my Will?
Yes — divorce typically revokes provisions in favour of an ex-spouse in most provinces, though specific effects vary. In Ontario, Succession Law Reform Act s. 17 treats a former spouse as having predeceased the testator for gifts and executor appointments on divorce, and extends to long-separated spouses — this is separate from the marriage rule. Wills should be updated after divorce to confirm what should happen. Beneficiary designations on RRSP, TFSA, life insurance, and pension typically need separate updating (the Will doesn't override these designations).
What if I move to a different province?
Specific provincial Wills Act may have different requirements. A Will from one province is typically valid in another but may not benefit from specific provincial provisions (e.g., probate fee strategies, holographic will recognition). Review with adviser familiar with new province after a move.
How do I do a self-review?
Walk through the Will: 'Is the executor still appropriate? Are the beneficiaries still who I want? Are the percentages still right? Has anyone named died? Have I had life events that should affect this?' If anything has changed materially, update is warranted.