Aisha is 32, and on the counter are a fresh set of condo keys. First place that’s truly hers. She’s been telling herself the same comfortable line for years — “I don’t own much, I’ll sort out a will later” — and at this exact moment, mid-celebration, that line quietly stops being true. There’s a home now. Accounts. A long-term partner who isn’t legally a spouse. And nothing, anywhere, that says what should happen to any of it.
The trap in “I don’t own much” is that it measures the wrong thing. A will isn’t about being wealthy; it’s about being directive. The question isn’t whether you have a lot — it’s whether you’d have an opinion about where your things go and who steps in if you couldn’t speak for yourself. Aisha would. Most people would. “Not much” already includes a condo, a couple of accounts, and — for anyone with kids — the single most important decision a will makes.
Because here’s what happens without one: intestacy. Your province applies a fixed legal formula to divide your estate, and that formula may look nothing like your wishes. A common-law partner can be treated very differently than a married spouse depending on where you live. Assets can route to relatives you’d never have chosen. And if you have children, a court — not you — decides who raises them, because guardianship is something only a will can assign in advance. “The government’s default plan” is a real plan; it’s just not yours.
So treat it as a checklist of triggers, not a milestone you reach at some imagined age. You need a will now if any of these is true: you own property, you have a partner or spouse, you have children, you own a business, or you simply have assets you’d want directed to specific people. If one applies, the move is straightforward — a basic will that names two roles: an executor to carry out your wishes, and, if you have kids, a guardian to raise them. That covers the large majority of situations, and it’s a far smaller job than the years of avoidance suggest.
For Aisha, the condo was the trigger that turned “later” into “this is a now thing.” She didn’t need anything elaborate — a simple will, an executor she trusted, and a clear answer to who’d inherit and who’d be in charge. The keys felt like the milestone. The will was the part that actually made the place, and everything in her life, fall to the people she’d choose.
If you own property, have a partner, have kids, or own a business, you need a will now — without one, the province’s intestacy formula decides everything, including who raises your children. A basic will naming an executor and a guardian covers most situations. This weekend: if any of those triggers apply to you, book a will appointment and decide who your executor and guardian would be.
FAQ
Do I need a will if I’m young?
Age isn’t the test. If you own property, have a partner, have children, or own a business, you need a will regardless of how old you are — because those are the things a will, and only a will, can direct.
What happens without a will in Canada?
Your province’s intestacy rules apply a fixed formula to decide who inherits. It may not match your wishes — and a common-law partner can be treated very differently from a married spouse depending on the province.
Who decides guardianship of my kids?
If you haven’t named a guardian in a will, a court decides who raises your children. Naming a guardian in advance is one of the most important reasons parents make a will, and it can’t be done any other way.
How often should I update a will?
After major life events — marriage, divorce, a birth, a death, a big change in assets — and roughly every three to five years otherwise, to make sure it still reflects your life and your wishes.
Next weekend — the registered-account decision that often comes next: TFSA or RRSP First? A Decision Framework (link goes live Aug 22).