What an estate trustee, executor or Quebec liquidator should find, secure, file and avoid in the first months after a death.
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Use this checklist if you have been named executor or estate trustee in a will, are applying to administer an estate without a will, or are the liquidator of a succession in Quebec. The tasks are similar in every province, but the forms, fees and deadlines differ.
How to use it. Tick items as you complete them and keep a dated file of documents. The first group protects the estate; the second builds the inventory that the court, the tax authorities and the beneficiaries will rely on; the third covers probate and tax filings; the last protects you personally before you hand money over.
Why the order matters (illustrative). An executor who distributes $200,000 to the beneficiaries in month three, before the final return is assessed and before the six-month claim period for dependants has passed, can be personally liable if the CRA reassesses or a dependant's claim succeeds. Waiting for the clearance certificate and the claim deadline costs time but protects you.
Limits. This list is general information. Estates with a business, foreign property, a disputed will, minor beneficiaries or a beneficiary who lacks capacity need advice from an estates lawyer or, in Quebec, a notary.
Worked Examples and Checklists
How child support is calculated with the Federal Child Support Tables in force since 1 October 2025: special expenses, shared parenting and Quebec's model.
Pitfalls and Official Sources
What unmarried partners get on separation and death in Ontario, BC, Alberta and Quebec, including Quebec's 2025 parental union regime.
Pitfalls and Official Sources
Who can claim support from an estate in Ontario (SLRA Part V), BC (WESA s. 60), Alberta and Quebec, the deadlines and what courts consider.
Pitfalls and Official Sources
Common mistakes with wills, beneficiary designations, powers of attorney, estates and separation in Canada, and the official sources to check.
Worked Examples and Checklists
An executor and liquidator checklist for Canada: securing assets, probate, final tax returns, claim deadlines, the clearance certificate and distribution.
Worked Examples and Checklists
How the CRA taxes a person at death: final return deadlines, deemed disposition, spousal rollovers, RRSPs and RRIFs, TFSAs and the clearance certificate.
