When applying for probate in Alberta, one of the Court’s main concerns is whether the will was properly executed. The Affidavit of Witness to a Will exists to answer that question. Having this affidavit almost always speeds up probate. Not having it often means extra steps and delays.

Short answer: an executor in Alberta generally cannot complete the sale or transfer of a deceased person’s house until a Grant of Probate is issued . However, there are lawful and practical steps an executor can take before probate to prepare for and even conditionally enter into a sale. This article explains the rule, the exceptions, and the practical process executors should follow. The Legal Rule in Alberta In Alberta, an executor’s authority technically flows from the w

Under Alberta law, a children under 18 cannot receive property outright. Under Alberta law, a child under 18 cannot receive property outright. If a minor inherits a lump‑sum gift, life‑insurance policy, or RRSP designation, the money is diverted to the Office of the Public Trustee until the child’s 18th birthday (or to age 19 in British Columbia, 21 in some other provinces) unless your will designates a trustee. The Public Trustee must invest conservatively and hand every dol

A family home or cottage is often an asset at stake when a widowed person with children remarries later in life. Blended families (where one or both spouses have children from previous relationships) now make up roughly one‑third of Canadian households. That shift creates an estate‑planning puzzle: spouses want to care for each other and protect children from first marriages, but Alberta’s default intestacy rules don’t always balance those interests.  In blended family situat