End of life
Find information on preparing for the end of life. Know what to do when someone close to you dies. Learn about wills, funerals and cremation, death registration and more.
To learn about support for a loved one nearing the end of life, go to the “Support services at home and in the community” chapter.
Wills and estates
When a person dies, it’s important to know if they had a will and where it is kept. Some people file their will with local courts or with a lawyer. Many keep it in a safety deposit box or in a drawer at home. The estate trustee of an estate carries out the wishes outlined in the will.
Find tips and resources for locating wills and other legal documents.
Dying without a will
If a person dies without a will (known as intestate), their estate is distributed according to Ontario’s Succession Law Reform Act.
- The estate may also end up being administered by the Public Guardian and Trustee in certain circumstances and there are no known next-of-kin living in Ontario or the next of kin are minors or mentally incapable adults.
- As a last resort, the estate will be handled by the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee as the estate trustee.
It may be necessary to probate the estate. Probate is a procedure that asks the court to either:
- authorize a person to act as the estate trustee
- confirm the authority of a person named as the estate trustee in the deceased’s will (this person can also formally approve that the will is the deceased’s valid last will)
Apply for probate of an estate.
If you have questions about your will or about being a beneficiary, consult a lawyer. For information on finding a lawyer, go to the “Law and legal matters” chapter.
Ministry of the Attorney General
Wills and administering an estate
Death out of country
If someone close to you dies in another country, contact:
Emergency Watch and Response Centre
Emergency contact form
Email: sos@international.gc.ca
Within Canada:
Outside Canada:
Death registration and certificate
Medical Certificate of Death
After a death, the attending doctor or coroner completes the Medical Certificate of Death. They give the certificate to the funeral director with the body of the person who died (the deceased).
Statement of Death
To register a death, a family member and the funeral director must complete the Statement of Death. It includes information about the deceased.
The funeral director sends both documents to the local municipal clerk’s office. The cause of death information is used for:
- medical research
- health research
- statistics
Death certificate
A funeral director will give you copies of the proof of death. Some organizations may need an official death certificate. This could be for:
- applying to probate an estate
- insurance purposes
- accessing and ending government services
- genealogy (ancestry) searches
Find out how to get a copy of an Ontario death certificate online.
ServiceOntario
Funerals, burials and cremations
When someone close to you dies, you may need to make a lot of decisions quickly if you are:
- an estate trustee named in the deceased’s will
- a person appointed by the court to administer the estate
- a spouse
- an adult child or parent of the deceased
This stressful time can be a little easier if you know who has the legal authority to decide what will happen to the body of the deceased person and what your rights and responsibilities are.
Ontario law protects people who are making final arrangements. Here are some examples:
- a funeral, transfer service, cemetery or crematorium operator must give you a current price list of all the supplies and services they offer before you enter into a contract
- they need to tell you if they will receive a commission (money) by recommending certain services or suppliers
- you have 30 days to cancel a contract for funeral, burial or cremation services and get a full refund for any part of the service not yet provided
- all prepaid contracts starting on or after July 1, 2012, must be guaranteed.
“Guaranteed” means that if you have paid your contract in full, your service provider must supply everything listed in your contract:
- when you need it
- without extra charges (even if prices have gone up)
Learn what to do when someone dies. Learn how to arrange a funeral, burial, cremation, alkaline hydrolysis or scattering.
Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery
Consumer Protection Ontario
Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO)
BAO can help you learn more about:
- funerals, burials, cremations, alkaline hydrolysis and/or neglected cemeteries
- interments, scattering of remains or alternative disposition of remains
- issues with a licensed bereavement service operator
Bereavement Authority of Ontario
Email: info@thebao.ca
Support when someone you love dies
Last Post Fund for veterans
Funeral and burial services are available for eligible veterans. This may include a military-style grave marker. These benefits are provided by the Last Post Fund on behalf of Veterans Affairs Canada.
Last Post Fund
Support for your grief and loss
Bereaved Families of Ontario provides emotional support after your loved one’s death. They offer services in locations across Ontario, including:
- free individual and group support programs
- open (drop-in) and closed settings
- peer support programs
Find bereavement support in your region.
Email: info@bereavedfamilies.net
Your role as estate trustee
There is a long list of things to do when you are an executor of an estate. This section includes the groups and organizations you will likely need to contact.
Learn how to apply for probate of an estate and probate of a small estate.
Pensions and benefits
An estate trustee or their lawyer typically reaches out to certain contacts, such as former employers, to notify them that the person who has died and to inquire about company pensions and benefits.
The estate trustee or their lawyer will also contact the organizations listed below to find out about eligibility or to cancel benefits or services:
They may not all be relevant to you. In some cases, there may be survivor benefits. Ask about them. You or your lawyer should also alert the following organizations about the death, if relevant:
Service Canada
Harmonized Sales Tax Credit
Guaranteed Annual Income System
Veterans Affairs Canada
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
Ontario Works
National Defence Disability and Death Benefits
For more information about survivor benefits, go to the “Money and finances” chapter of this guide.
Income taxes
As an estate trustee, you or your lawyer must complete an income tax form for the person who died. Contact your local tax office for information and help.
Canada Revenue Agency
Banks and credit cards
You should also contact banks and financial institutions that may hold estate assets. Contact credit card companies to cancel any of the deceased’s cards.
Government cards and registries
Notify government agencies that issue cards of the deceased’s death. These organizations include:
ServiceOntario
Cancel driver’s licence, accessible parking permit, Ontario health (OHIP) card and outdoors card.
Social Insurance Number
Alert Service Canada about the death.
Canadian and foreign passports
Cancel passports.
Citizenship and Permanent Resident Cards
Alert Immigration and Citizenship Canada about the death.
Indian Status
Alert Indigenous Services Canada about the death.
Firearms Licences
Alert the Canadian Firearms Program about the death.
Vehicles and insurance policies
As an estate trustee, you may need to sell or transfer ownership of vehicles, boats, snow machines, ATVs, trailers and more. Contact the deceased’s insurance company to cancel or transfer insurance policies.
Learn how to cancel a driver’s licence.
Life insurance
As an estate trustee, you may need to:
- search the deceased’s records for life insurance policies
- search bank records for monthly or annual payments
- contact insurers and/or contact the deceased’s employer
You can also search for a life insurance policy of a deceased person by contacting the OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance.
Home and property
As an estate trustee, you or your lawyer may need to:
- determine real estate and property title deeds and property taxes for primary and secondary residences
- arrange to redirect or hold mail at the local Canada Post office
- contact utility, cable, telephone, internet and cell phone companies to cancel service or provide a name change
- cancel or give a name change for newspaper and magazine subscriptions
Services, cards and memberships
You should alert these contacts of the person’s death:
- doctors (or medical offices), caregivers and health service organizations
- frequent traveler and frequent buyer cards
- places where the deceased volunteered
- professional associations
- sports and recreation clubs
- post-secondary institutions they attended
- online subscriptions or memberships (cancel or give name changes)