Estate Readiness Resources
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Estate readiness resources to help you get organized, protect your family, and make sure your plan actually works when it’s needed.
Estate Planning vs Estate Readiness: A Will Isn't Enough
Having a Will is only part of being prepared. Learn Estate Kit's three-part framework for legal, information and human readiness.
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Unclaimed Money in Canada: Where to Search for Lost Assets
Information ReadinessAugust 20, 202615 min read
Forgotten bank accounts, lost pensions and old policies sit in separate Canadian registries. Here is where and how to search, province by province.
How Executors Find Bank Accounts and Assets After a Death
Information ReadinessMarch 16, 20265 min read
Learn how executors piece together bank accounts, investments, insurance and other assets after a death, and why organized records make the search easier.
What Happens to Your Bank Accounts When You Die?
Legal ReadinessMarch 9, 20265 min read
What happens to bank accounts after someone dies? Learn why access may be restricted, what an executor may need to provide and how joint accounts can differ.
Should You Leave a Letter Explaining Your Will?
Human ReadinessMarch 2, 20265 min read
A Will says what happens, not why. Learn when a letter explaining your decisions helps your family, and what it should cover.
What Is Estate Planning? A Practical Guide for Canadians
Legal ReadinessFebruary 23, 20269 min read
Learn what estate planning covers in Canada, including Wills, Powers of Attorney, incapacity, beneficiaries and the decisions your family may one day rely on.
Dying Without a Will in Canada: Who Actually Inherits
Legal ReadinessFebruary 23, 20268 min read
Who inherits when someone dies without a Will in Canada? See how Ontario and BC intestacy rules differ and where common-law partners stand.
Why Being Next of Kin Gives You No Legal Authority
Legal ReadinessFebruary 16, 20266 min read
Being next of kin does not automatically give someone financial authority. Learn why legal authority matters and what can happen when no document is in place.
The 3 Estate Planning Documents Every Canadian Needs
Legal ReadinessFebruary 9, 20266 min read
Wills and Powers of Attorney cover different situations. Learn the 3 core estate planning documents and why the terminology varies across Canada.
15 Questions to Answer Before You Make Your Will
Legal ReadinessFebruary 2, 20267 min read
Before you make your Will, work through 15 decisions about executors, guardians, beneficiaries, trusts, debts, taxes, digital assets and more.
What Is the Residue Clause in a Will, and Who Gets It?
Legal ReadinessJanuary 26, 20265 min read
What is the residue of an estate? Learn how a residue clause works, what it can cover and why this part of a Will often matters to beneficiaries.
What to Do When Someone Dies Without a Will
Legal ReadinessJanuary 19, 20266 min read
When there is no Will or Power of Attorney, families may need court authority before they can act. Learn the first steps after a death or incapacity.
Why Your Will Doesn't List Your Bank Accounts or Assets
Information ReadinessJanuary 12, 20267 min read
Your Will usually does not list every account or asset. Learn what financial information your executor still needs and why it should be organized separately.
The First 48 Hours After a Death: What Your Family Needs
Information ReadinessJanuary 5, 20266 min read
What will your family need in the first 48 hours after a death? Start with the Will, funeral wishes, key contacts and where information is kept.
How to Organize Estate Documents for Your Executor
Information ReadinessDecember 29, 20258 min read
A system only you can navigate stops working when you're not there. Learn how to organize your estate documents and accounts so your executor can find everything.
Digital Assets After Death: What to Leave Your Executor
Information ReadinessDecember 22, 20255 min read
Digital accounts can be hard to locate after a death. Learn what your executor needs to know about passwords, 2FA, cloud files, crypto and online records.
What Is Human Readiness? The Step Most Estate Plans Skip
Human ReadinessDecember 15, 20257 min read
Human readiness is Estate Kit's term for preparing the people named in your plan. Learn why role clarity and conversations matter as much as documents.
5 Things to Tell Your Family About Your Estate Plan
Human ReadinessDecember 8, 20257 min read
You do not need to disclose every dollar. Learn the five things your family and decision-makers should know about your estate plan before they need to act.
What to Tell Your Executor Before You Die
Human ReadinessDecember 1, 20258 min read
Your executor should not learn everything at the moment they need to act. Learn what to tell them now, from document locations to advisors and key decisions.
What Does a Power of Attorney Do, and What to Tell Them?
Human ReadinessNovember 24, 20259 min read
A Power of Attorney gives someone authority to make certain decisions for you. Learn what the role can cover and what the person you name should understand.
Named as Executor or Power of Attorney? What to Ask First
Human ReadinessNovember 17, 20258 min read
Named as an executor or Power of Attorney? Learn what the role involves, what to ask now and why being chosen is not the same as being prepared.
10 Estate Planning Conversations Every Family Should Have
Human ReadinessNovember 10, 20255 min read
Use these 10 estate planning conversations to help your family understand your wishes, key documents, decision-makers, finances, digital life and more.
How to Talk to Family About Death: Scripts You Can Use
Human ReadinessNovember 3, 20255 min read
Not sure how to start a conversation about death or estate planning? Use practical scripts for talking with parents, adult children or a partner.
Why Families Fight Over Inheritance, and What Prevents It
Human ReadinessOctober 27, 20255 min read
Why do families fight over inheritance? Learn why silence creates conflict and how earlier conversations give your family clarity and context.
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