Someone you love has died. Let's take this one step at a time.
We're so sorry. This guide walks you through what to do after a death in Ontario: what needs your attention today, what can wait, and what an executor actually has to do. It's written in plain English by the team at Wright Wealth in Guelph. It's free, and nobody is going to try to sell you anything.
Where are you right now?
Someone has just died.
The first hours and days: who to call, how the death gets registered, and the few things that really can't wait.
Start with what to do firstI've been named the executor.
What the job really involves, a checklist you can tick off as you go, and how to protect yourself along the way.
I want to make this easier for my family.
Five minutes with our Estate Conversation Starter, plus a few simple steps that can save your family months of stress.
Plan aheadIf it's happening today
- If the death was sudden or unexpected, call 911. If it was expected, for example under palliative care, call the doctor or nurse who was caring for them.
- Call a funeral home when you're ready. They'll help register the death and get the burial permit.
- Look for the will, but don't worry if you can't find it today.
- Lock up the home and car, and put cash, jewellery and important papers somewhere safe.
- Hold off on paying their debts from your own pocket, giving away belongings or cancelling things, unless it's urgent.
- Take a breath. Most of the rest can wait a few days.
Every guide in one place
What to do when someone dies
A gentle timeline, from the first hours to the first year.
Who to notify
Government offices, banks, insurers, utilities and more, with phone numbers.
Benefits and insurance claims
CPP benefits, life insurance, workplace coverage and how to find lost policies.
For a surviving spouse or partner
Your home, your money and the deadlines that matter to you.
The executor guide
What an executor does, how to avoid personal liability and how executors get paid.
The executor checklist
Every step, in order. Tick them off as you go.
Probate in Ontario
When you need it, what it costs (with a calculator) and how to apply.
Taxes after a death
The final return, RRSPs and RRIFs, the estate's return and the clearance certificate.
When there's no will
How Ontario law divides an estate, and who gets to handle it.
Plan ahead
Simple steps that make things far easier for the people you love.
Estate Conversation Starter
A five-minute questionnaire to get the family conversation started.
Glossary
Estate words, translated into plain English.
Grief support and resources
Local and Ontario-wide help, plus official government guides.
Why we built this
We often sit with families who are doing this for the first time. Almost all of them say the same thing: "I had no idea where to start." So we put everything we explain at kitchen tables across Guelph into one place. Use it, print it, share it with your family. And if you get stuck, we're a phone call away.
Where we can help (if you'd like us to)
We're financial and insurance advisors, not lawyers. Here's where we can genuinely be useful:
- Tracking down and claiming life insurance policies
- Making sense of investments, RRSPs, RRIFs and TFSAs in an estate
- Helping you decide what to do with an inheritance, without rushing
- Connecting you with estate lawyers and accountants we trust
- Putting your own plan in place, when you're ready
We don't prepare probate applications or tax returns. When you need someone who does, we'll tell you.
Common questions
Stuck? Talk to a real person.
No pressure and no sales pitch. If we can help, we'll say so. If you need a lawyer or an accountant instead, we'll tell you that too.