Signing And Witnessing Your Will

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 by: News Canada

(NC)-Signing and witnessing is critical to the legal validity of your Will and requirements differ from province to province.

Witnesses

You and your two witnesses sign the document in each other's presence and also initial each page.

Neither your beneficiaries (someone who benefits from your Will) nor their spouses should be witnesses.

As one or both witnesses may be called upon to give
evidence as to the execution of your Will, they should be residents of
Canada. It is recommended that your witnesses be younger in age than
you.

In addition, a document required for the "probate" of
the Will (called an affidavit of execution) should be signed and sworn
by one of the witnesses, shortly after the Will is signed.

A Regular Review

Once you have drafted your Will, don't allow it to become
outdated. A Will drafted a few years ago reflects your thinking and
lifestyle at that time. Consider what may have changed:

• Tax laws - your Will should reflect the latest tax saving strategies.
  

• Family circumstances - a birth, a death, or a
  move to a new province may indicate the need for a revision to your
  Will. Marriage necessitates a new Will.
  

• Your investments - your stocks have increased
  (or decreased) in value. You have purchased property, acquired a work
  of art or started a small business.
  

• Your wishes - you may now want to add a new beneficiary, change your Executor, or increase your support to organizations
  

If you do not have a Will, or if your Will has not been
updated recently, perhaps it is time to meet with a lawyer and get the
job done. Take the first step; call Ontario March of Dimes toll-free at
1-800-263-3463 x 383 for a free copy of "My Personal Organizer" - a
handy estate planning tool.

About the Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Editors: These articles are for use in Ontario only

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