What is required for my Will to be valid?

The only technical requirement for a will to be validly made in British Columbia is that it must be properly signed and witnessed.

Properly signed and witnessed means that the will-maker signs the will at the end of the document in the presence of two witnesses, each of whom then sign the document in the presence of the will-maker.

A will as basic as “I leave everything to my children”, that is properly signed and witnessed, is a valid will, provided that it is clear that the document is the will-maker’s wishes about what they want done with their estate after they die. It would be helpful to add a title or “Will”, “My Last Will”, “What I want done with my estate after I die” or something similar.

While a very minimal will might be valid, it will not include clauses that might be very important for ensuring that your wishes can be best followed.

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