A will that is religiously sound but legally invalid distributes nothing. These are the New Brunswick requirements that decide whether the document works.
New Brunswick requirements
| Item | New Brunswick |
|---|---|
| Governing statute | Wills Act and Devolution of Estates Act |
| Court | Court of King's Bench (Probate Court) |
| Handwritten (holograph) wills | Valid |
| Probate cost | A probate TAX by value band: $200 on estates up to $20,000; $200 plus $5 per $1,000 (or part) on the portion between $20,000 and $100,000; and $600 plus $15 per $1,000 (or part) on everything above $100,000. On a $1,000,000 estate that is $14,100 — New Brunswick is a high-cost probate province, not a cheap one. |
| Spouse’s share on intestacy | There is no preferential dollar share in New Brunswick. The surviving spouse first takes the intestate’s interest in whatever is marital property under the Marital Property Act, and then takes half the residue if there is one child, or a third of the residue if there is more than one. A spouse with no surviving issue takes the whole estate. |
| Will registry | No central government will registry. |
| Claims against the estate | Provision for Dependants Act claims. "Dependant" is defined to include the spouse or child of the deceased outright — with no age limit and no requirement that the deceased was actually supporting them — plus anyone who was a dependant under the Family Law Act. The gate is in the operative section instead: the applicant’s resources, counting everything they take under the will or on intestacy, must be insufficient to provide adequately for them. |
The failures that recur
- A beneficiary or their spouse witnessing the will. The gift to that witness can be void even though the will stands.
- Marriage and divorce. These can revoke a will or the gifts in it, depending on the province and the date.
- Vague religious wording. "Distribute according to Shariah" without setting out the shares invites a dispute about what it means. Name the shares.
- Assets that are not caught by the will at all — designations and joint property.
A well-drafted Islamic will usually states the faraid shares explicitly, names a fallback distribution if a share fails, and appoints both an executor and a guardian. That is lawyer work, not template work.
Common questions
Can my spouse witness my will?
They should not. A gift to a witness or the witness's spouse can be void, even where the will itself remains valid.
Is a will I wrote by hand valid?
It depends on the province — several accept holograph wills, and at least one does not. Check the table above before relying on a handwritten document.
Do I need a new will if I get married or divorced?
Very likely. Marriage and divorce can revoke a will or the gifts in it, and the rules differ by province and by the date of the will.
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.
- What to do when someone has died — Canada Revenue Agency
- Probate fees by province / territory — TaxTips.ca
- Surah an-Nisa 4:11–12, 4:176 — Quran.com
- Book of Wills (Wasaya) — Sahih al-Bukhari, Sunnah.com
- Religion by census metropolitan area, 2021 Census — Statistics Canada
- Holograph handwritten will ontario — Treadstone Law
- Preferential share spouse intestacy ontario — Treadstone Law
- What is preferential share ontario intestacy — Treadstone Law
- Do i need a witness for a holograph will — Treadstone Law
- Is ontario will valid if signed by one witness — Treadstone Law
- Wills & estates practice — Treadstone Law