How Often Should You Update Your Will in Ontario?

Wills don't expire in Ontario — an old will stays valid until you change it. The danger isn't expiry; it's a will that no longer matches your life. As a rule, review it every 3 to 5 years and after any major life event.

Life events that should trigger a review

• Marriage or a new common-law relationship.
• Separation or divorce.
• A new child or grandchild, or a child reaching adulthood.
• Death of a beneficiary, executor, or guardian you named.
• A big change in assets — buying a home, selling a business, an inheritance.
• Moving to or from Ontario (different province = different rules).

Two Ontario rules worth knowing

• Marriage no longer revokes your will. For deaths on or after January 1, 2022, getting married does not automatically cancel an existing Ontario will. (Before that, marriage generally revoked a prior will.) So a will made before a marriage now survives it — which may or may not be what you want, making a review after marriage important.
• Divorce affects gifts to an ex-spouse. On divorce, gifts to a former spouse and their appointment as executor are generally treated as if the ex-spouse had died first — but separation without divorce may not have the same effect, so update your will when you separate.

How to update: codicil vs new will

A codicil is a short, properly witnessed amendment — fine for a small change like swapping an executor. For anything substantial, a new will that revokes the old one is cleaner and less error-prone than stacking codicils. Either way, the amendment must meet the same signing and witnessing rules as the original.

Don't forget storage

When you make a new will, destroy old copies to avoid confusion, store the new original where your estate trustee can find it, and tell them where it is. Ontario probate generally requires the original document.

Frequently asked questions

Does a will expire in Ontario? No. It stays valid until you revoke or replace it, but it should be reviewed regularly. Does marriage cancel a will in Ontario? Not since January 1, 2022 — marriage no longer automatically revokes an Ontario will. Does divorce affect my will in Ontario? Yes — gifts to and the appointment of a former spouse are generally revoked on divorce; separation alone may not be, so update it. What is a codicil and do I need one in Ontario? A codicil is a witnessed amendment to your will, useful for small changes; bigger changes usually warrant a new will.

Not legal advice. General information about Ontario law as of 2026. Confirm specifics with an Ontario estate lawyer.