A will made in the presence of witnesses is a document that you can draw up yourself by hand or using a computer.
On this page:
Will prepared by another person
You can also have someone else prepare your will for you. This person cannot be one of your legatees and must have no interest in your will.
Declaration and signature
You must declare, in the presence of two qualified witnesses of full age, that the document is your will. You do not need to disclose the contents of your will to the witnesses.
You must then sign your will. You can ask another person to sign it for you, in your presence and according to your instructions.
After you have signed the will, the witnesses must also sign and initial each page of the will in your presence. Moreover, none of the witnesses (even if there are more than two) must have any interest in your will.
Will prepared by another person using a computer
If the will was prepared by another person using a computer, you and your witnesses must sign or initial each page.
For further information on wills, or to obtain a model will made in the presence of witnesses, see the brochure entitled My Will (PDF 767 Kb) (in French).
Note that a will that is prepared and written by a lawyer is considered a will made in the presence of witnesses. Accordingly, it must also be probated after your death, even if the lawyer registered a notice of its existence in the Barreau du Québec’s Register of testamentary dispositions .
Costs
Writing a will made in the presence of witnesses costs nothing if you do it yourself. However, there are costs associated with probating it after your death.
If you wish to have your will made in the presence of witnesses written by someone else (for instance, a lawyer), you must contact that person for more information about their rates.