You are not obliged to, but telling them prevents most disputes. Surprise is the fuel of estate litigation.
The Canadian position
Nothing requires disclosure during your lifetime.
Executors and guardians should be told they have been named, and asked whether they will act.
The Islamic position
Where a distribution follows faraid, explaining it in advance removes the sense of arbitrariness that drives challenges.
Families that discuss it beforehand litigate far less.
Making an Islamic will in Canada — province by province, and what makes one valid where you live →
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 a source below. Details change — check the original source before relying on any figure, fee or legal position. Anything under “further reading” is related material, not a source for what is stated here.
- Succession Law Reform Act, RSO 1990, c S.26 — Government of Ontario
- Administering estates — Government of Ontario
- Grewal v. Litt, 2019 BCSC 1154 — CanLII
- Wills, Estates and Succession Act, SBC 2009, c 13 — BC Laws
- Canadian Legal Information Institute — CanLII
- Different executors named for different provinces ontario — Treadstone Law
- Family disputes guardianship appointment ontario — Treadstone Law
- Status certificate disclosure litigation ontario — Treadstone Law
- Litigation funding contract disputes ontario — Treadstone Law
- Wills & estates practice — Treadstone Law