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Can I use one will for my whole family?

No. A will is personal to one testator. Spouses each need their own, though they are commonly drafted as mirror wills.

This is legal information only. For advice on your own circumstances, speak to a lawyer.

No. A will is personal to one testator. Spouses each need their own, though they are commonly drafted as mirror wills.

The Canadian position

Mirror wills are two substantially identical documents. They do not bind the survivor unless made mutual by a separate contract — and mutual wills create their own problems.

The Islamic position

Each person's estate is distributed by reference to their own surviving heirs, so a single joint document could not work in any case.

Across the madhahib

The four Sunni schools are not recorded as differing materially on this point in the sources reviewed. Where your own case turns on it, put it to a scholar of your school.

Note

This is legal information only. For advice on your own circumstances, speak to a lawyer.

Citations & sources

Every factual claim on this page traces to one of the references below. Legislation and dollar thresholds change — verify against the primary source before relying on any figure.

Scholarly & institutional references
  1. Research Papers — Cambridge Muslim College
  2. Research — Cambridge Muslim College
  3. Academics — Islamic law and theology curriculum — Zaytuna College
  4. Encyclopaedia of Islam — Brill
Canadian legislation & government
  1. Succession Law Reform Act, RSO 1990, c S.26 — Government of Ontario
  2. Administering estates — Government of Ontario
  3. Grewal v. Litt, 2019 BCSC 1154 — CanLII
Canadian legal commentary
  1. How long does estate administration take no will ontario — Treadstone Law
  2. Marriage validity void voidable ontario — Treadstone Law
  3. Litigation guardian incapable party will dispute ontario — Treadstone Law
  4. Can you challenge a will after probate ontario — Treadstone Law
  5. Challenging will after probate granted ontario — Treadstone Law
  6. Testamentary trust ontario will — Treadstone Law
  7. Wills & estates practice — Treadstone Law