One of the best ways to protect your family and loved ones is to write a Will that dictates how you want your assets shared when you’re gone.
Traditionally, you need a lawyer to write your Will. But Canadians looking to make a Will also have more affordable options like the free Will kits and Online Will writing services.
In this post, you’ll learn about some of the best free Will kits in Canada, whether they are right for you, their alternatives and more.
Best Free Will Kits in Canada
If you’re looking for a free Will writing service in Canada, here are some of the best and top choices available
- CanadaWills
- LawDepot
- The Free Will Kit
- Downloadable Free Will kits
We’ll cover each of the options in detail below.
1. CanadaWills
CanadaWills is the overall best free Will service in Canada. It’s been providing free legal Wills to Canadians for over 20 years.
Its services include Last Will and Testament, Living Will, Medical Power of Attorney and Advance Directive. A COVID-19 Living Will was also recently added.
These services are available in all Canadian provinces and territories except Quebec.
And they are totally free – no subscription or credit card needed. But feel free to donate to them if you like their service.
CanadaWills prides itself as secure and privacy-conscious. Your Will and personal information are not stored on their website to protect your privacy.
The flip side of this and a con of CanadaWills is that you’ll need to start your Will afresh if you ever need to make changes to it.
But if you’re looking for a truly free option for writing a Will in Canada, then CanadaWills is the top choice.
There are no tricks or gimmicks, and they won’t upsell you at any point during the process.
2. LawDepot
LawDepot is another service that provides access to free Legal Wills and many other legal documents.
Whether you’re looking to write a legal Will, get a partnership agreement or a residential lease agreement, there’s something for everyone.
Getting your legal Wills is simple and straightforward with the series of questions and prompts along the way.
However, LawDepot is not completely free like CanadaWills.
The legal documents provided by LawDepot are not free, but you can get access to them by using the one-week trial.
If you don’t cancel your subscription, you’ll be charged $39 per month for as long as you remain a subscriber. You can also pay a flat fee of between $7.50 and $49 per document.
Unfortunately, many people forget to cancel their subscription and are charged. This is the biggest complaint about LawDepot if you check their reviews online.
LawDepot is also not upfront with its pricing. The homepage states “Free Legal Documents, Forms and Contracts.”
But you won’t be able to download your legal documents unless you pay for the service or add your credit card for the trial period.
3. The Free Will Kit
The Free Will Kit is yet another service that provides free Will kits for interested Canadians.
In addition to a last Will and testament, you’ll also get a living Will and Health Care surrogate document. In other words, a power of attorney document for your health.
But there’s a catch…
You’ll need to provide your information including your name, address, mobile number and address.
Then you’ll be contacted by an AIL/NILICO representative to arrange the delivery of the free Will kit. In the process, they’ll try to sell you some insurance coverage.
According to the company, you’ll still receive the free will kit whether you buy any of their insurance coverage or not.
But keep this in mind when deciding if the service is right for me.
4. Downloadable Free Will Kits
Another popular way for writing a legal Will is by picking up a DIY Will Kit for a low-cost or getting a free downloadable Will Kit.
A simple search on Google for “free Canadian Will template” will reveal several Free Will kits you can download online.
Simply fill the blank spaces provided to complete your legal Wills, get your witnesses to sign and you’re done.
These printable Will Kits are a quick and cheap way to get a legal Will written, but they have their disadvantages.
For example, they are not as user-friendly as the other options. The customization options are limited and there are no support.
Knowing the right clause to include may also be challenge, and you may inadvertently introduce confusing clauses into your Will.
Pros & Cons of Free Will Kits
The obvious pro for free Will kits is that they let you get a legal Will for free without the need to pay a few hundred dollars to an online Will platform or higher to lawyers.
But Free Will kits and Will kits in general (including the paid kits) have several cons you need to be aware of and consider.
Some of them include:
Lack of support: You’ll be left to figure out any issues or questions you have while writing your Will.
And without the right guidance, you run the risk of introducing contradictions into your Will, not using the right witnesses, ignoring your unique situations etc.
Issues with Update: Updating any Will written using the free options is also a pain.
For example, CanadaWills does not save your information so you’ll need to start all over after every life event that requires an update to your Will.
Online Will Kits like Willful and LegalWills address these issues while keeping the cost low.
Are Free Will Kits Legal?
Free Will kits are as legal as any other Will written by a lawyer or an online Will service as long as you follow the procedures to make them legal.
For most provinces, this means having 2 witnesses physically sign your completed Will.
Some provinces allowed remote witnessing during the COVID-19 lockdown and BC has introduced a Bill to make remote witnessing legal.
But in general, you need 2 witnesses that are not beneficiaries, or related to the beneficiaries, of your Will to sign the completed document.
Best Online Wills Canada: Alternatives to Free Will Kits
If you’re willing to spend a relatively low amount to get a Legal Will to protect your loved ones, then one of the Canadian Online Will providers below are a great alternative to the free options.
Online Wills platforms provide a good balance between the cost of using a lawyer and support/guide while writing your Will.
The best online Will platforms in Canada are:
- Epilogue Wills
- Willful Wills
- LegalWills
Epilogue Wills
Epilogue Wills has done a great job of making the process of getting a legal Will “simple, affordable, and light on the legal jargon.”
The online Will platform was founded by 2 estate planning lawyers, so you can be rest assured that the document is reputable.
Provinces Supported: Epilogue Wills is available in 9 Provinces including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan.
Pricing: $139 – $289 depending on whether you’re getting a Will for yourself alone or for your spouse too; and whether you want a Will only or with a power of attorney.
Epilogue Wills also provide a Social Media Will for free. A social media Will simply gives your loved ones the instructions on what to do with your social media profiles when you’re gone.
Promotion: $20 off by clicking here or using our exclusive Epilogue Wills Coupon Code: WALLETBLISS20.
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Willful Wills
Willful is a Canadian technology company that was founded in 2017 with offices in Toronto and Montreal.
The company helps Canadians with end-of-life planning. Through their online Will platform, you can create a legal Will and power of attorney documents for both health and finances.
It currently operates in the 8 provinces shown below.
Provinces Supported: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
Pricing: $99 for the Essential plan with only a Legal Will or $189 for the Premium plan with 4 documents: Legal Will and power of attorney documents.
You get a discounted price for the Family plan that cost about $165 per plan and you can add up to 6 people. So if you’re getting a Will with your spouse, you’ll pay a total of $329.
All plans also come with the option to register your Will with Canada Will Registry for free – a $40 value.
Wills Update: Unlimited. You get unlimited life-time updates with all the Willful Wills plans.
Promotion: Get 15% off by clicking this Willful link and entering the coupon code WALLETBLISS.
Related Post: Willful Wills Promotion
LegalWIlls
Founded in 2000, LegalWills is a pioneer in the Online Will writing space in Canada.
It operates out of Ontario in Canada, but its services are also available in U.S.A and the United Kingdom.
LegalWills is the most affordable online Wills provider in Canada. It makes it easy and simple for anyone to get their Legal Will completed online and updated when their personal situation changes.
Provinces Supported: Available in all provinces including Quebec.
Pricing: LegalWills provides several services, and their cost varies. But a basic Will for one person costs $39.95, while Mirror Wills for couples cost $63.92 (a 40% discount).
There are also several add-ons like Power of attorney ($29.95), Living Will ($19.95), Document Printing Service ($9.95) and so on.
Wills Update: Free for the first year. You’ll need to pay $11.95 if you need to update your Will in the future.
Promotion: 20% off the cost of any of the services by clicking here or using the LegalWills coupon code WALLET20.
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What happens if you die without a Will?
If you die without a last will and testament in Canada, your assets will be shared according to the laws of your province.
But depending on your situation, the sharing formula for your province may not work for you.
But there are some other, not so obvious, implications of dying without a Will.
For example…
There’ll be extra administrative delays, probate and legal fees if you died without a Will since your estate will have to go through probate.
Do you have distant family members you would like taken care of or want to leave some cash to your favorite charities? What about your pets?
Without a last will and testament with provisions on the gifts you want to leave to them, these beneficiaries would be left out.
Some FAQs
A Will is a legal document that states how you want your assets to be distributed when you’re gone. It can also document who takes care of your children and appoints an executor to carry out your wishes.
Overall, CanadaWills is the best free will kit provider in Canada. The service is free for everyone and is available in all provinces except Quebec.
Free Will Kits like the ones offered by CanadaWills are completely free – with no gimmicks, upsells or hidden fees. Others may have some hidden fees (like LawDepot if you don’t cancel your subscription) or try to sell you other services (like The Free Will Kit).
Yes, you can make a legal will without involving lawyers. Online Will providers are a relatively cheaper and convenient alternative for getting a legal Will in Canada. In a few minutes, you’ll be able to create a legal Will from the comfort of your room.
A last Will dictates what happens to your estate when you die. It also appoints who inherits those assets. On the other hand, a Trust is a legal document that names a person or party to manage your assets both while you’re alive and when you die.
Basically, the Will sets out how you want your estate handled when you die; and Trust can be set up for life-long management of these assets.
You can use the free Will kit services in most provinces. Just make sure you print out the completed Will and make them legal according to the laws of your province.
