Wills and Estate Planning Forms

Download a free copy of the Last Will and Testament of David Packard (1912-1996).

• Packard, an American electrical engineer and entrepreneur, was a co-founder of the computer giant, Hewlett-Packard.
• The majority of his holdings were donated to the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, which provides grants to nonprofit organizations.

This Canadian statutory declaration form must be completed by the executor of a deceased shareholder's estate to transfer shares owned by the deceased.

How to Use the Declaration for Transmission of Shares

The executor of the estate must submit the completed Declaration for Transmission of Shares to the company that issued the shares, to request that the shares be transferred to the estate.

The shares must be transferred into the deceased's estate so that they can be then distributed to the beneficiaries.

Downloadable Free Form

This statutory declaration template is a free form provided for the convenience of estate executors. It is provided in MS Word format as a downloadable document that can be reused as often as required.

Applicable Laws

The Declaration for Transmission of Shares on Death is governed by Canadian laws and is intended for use only for the administration of estates in Canada.

Download this free copy of the Last Will and Testament of heiress Doris Duke.

• Doris Duke (1912-1993) was an American heiress, horticulturalist, art collector and philanthropist.
• When Doris was just 12 years old, her father died and left her a fortune estimated at about $100 million. At the age of 14, she took her mother to court and successfully prevented her from selling the family's 2,700 acre estate.
• When Duke came of age, she used her wealth to pursue a variety of interests, including extensive world travel and the arts. During World War II, she worked in a canteen for sailors in Egypt, taking a salary of one dollar a year. She apparently spoke nine languages.
• In 1945, Duke began a short-lived career as a foreign correspondent for the International News Service, reporting from different cities across the war-ravaged Europe. After the war, she moved to Paris and wrote for the magazine Harper's Bazaar.
• While living in Hawaii, Duke became the first woman to take up competition surfing. A lover of animals, in particular her dogs and pet camels, in her later years Duke became a wildlife refuge supporter, an environmental conservationist, and a patron of historic preservation.

Biographical material taken from Wikipedia.com.

Learn about the Duties of an Executor with this free downloadable summary of the responsibilities of the executor of an estate.

• The executor (sometimes called a personal representative) is responsible for such things as:
  • reviewing the will,
  • arranging probate,
  • taking inventory of the assets,
  • preparing the final tax return,
  • distribution of the assets to the beneficiaries (heirs).
• 'Duties of an Executor' is a free downloadable PDF checklist and guide.

Elizabeth Edwards (1949-2010), best-selling author and US health care activist, was also the wife of North Carolina Senator John Edwards. This is a copy of her Last Will and Testament.

• Elizabeth obtained a law degree from UNC and practiced law until 1996.
• Edwards was well known for her support of universal health care and gay marriage, and her opposition to the war in Iraq, which were points of disagreement between her and her husband. She was a staunch advocate for women's health, especially cancer patients.
• Senator Edwards' revelations about his extramarital affair caused many Americans to rally around in support of his wife. She separated from him in 2010, and died of cancer later that year.

Download this free copy of the Last Will and Testament of Elvis Aaron Presley, the King of Rock and Roll (1935-1977).

• Elvis dominated the popular music charts for decades, until the coming of the Beatles in the 1960s. His unique blend of blues, country and folk combined with his smooth sexy delivery and pelvic gyrations made him a superstar.
• Elvis' first single, 'Heartbreak Hotel' released in 1956, was also his first number 1 hit. He went on to have a string of hits, accompanied by television appearances before swooning audiences of screaming crazed female fans.
• Elvis made his film debut in 1956's Love Me Tender.
• After his army stint, he returned to recording and making movies. In 1968 he returned to live performance with a highly successful television special, a long-standing Las Vegas stint and numerous tours.
• Presley was the first to broadcast a concert globally via satellite, the 'Aloha from Hawaii' special broadcast in 1973.
• Elvis' death as a result of prescription drug abuse robbed us of one of the most important cultural icons of the 20th century. He remains the best-selling solo artist in the history of pop music. Today, millions of Elvis fans still mark the anniversary of his death with candlelight vigils at his mansion at Graceland.

Biographical information taken from Wikipedia.com.

This is a copy of the Will of Epicurus (341 BC-270 BC).

• Epicurus founded one of the major philosophies of ancient Greece, helping to lay the intellectual foundations for modern science and for secular individualism.
• Many aspects of his thought are still highly relevant some twenty-three centuries after they were first taught in his school in Athens, called 'the Garden.'
• Epicurus's philosophy combines a physics based on an atomistic materialism with a rational hedonistic ethic that emphasizes moderation of desires and cultivation of friendships.
• His world-view is an optimistic one that stresses that philosophy can liberate one from fears of death and the supernatural, and can teach us how to find happiness in almost any situation.
• His practical insights into human psychology, as well as his science-friendly world-view, gives Epicureanism great contemporary signficance as well as a venerable role in the intellectual development of Western Civilization.

The above taken from www.epicurus.net

Download a free copy of the Last Will of American novelist Ernest (Papa) Hemingway (1899-1961).

• The works of Ernest Miller Hemingway are considered classics of American literature. His writing style, known as the iceberg theory, was characterized by economy and understatement, and it influenced many other 20th century writers. His characters exuded authenticity, which reverberated with his public.
• In his younger years Hemingway worked as a reporter until World War I when he became an ambulance driver in Italy. This experience formed the basis for A Farewell to Arms.
• After the war he worked in Paris as a foreign correspondence, which led to him covering the Spanish Civil War, after which he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls. During World War II he was present at D-Day and the liberation of Paris. In the midst of all this, he found time to get married four times.
• Hemingway's public persona was that of a hard drinking, hard living adventure seeker. After publishing The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway went on safari to Africa and was almost killed in a plane crash, which left him in ill health for most of the rest of his life.
• He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.
• Hemingway committed suicide at his home in 1961.

Source: Wikipedia.org

Do you know what the short-term and long-term financial impact would be for the survivor if you or your spouse or partner were to die?

• Use this Estate Planning Analysis Worksheet to help you determine:
  • the immediate cash requirements of the surviving spouse / partner,
  • ongoing monthly income needs, and
  • available assets.
• This Estate Planning Analysis Worksheet should be completed by both you and your spouse or partner.
• It is provided in MS Word format and can be easily downloaded and filled in, either on the computer or by hand.

Put together all the information you need to create your estate plan with this comprehensive Estate Planning Checklist & Questionnaire for Canadian residents.

What is an estate plan and why do I need one?

The purpose of an estate plan is two-pronged: (1) after your death, to distribute your estate assets to the people or organizations that you designate, and (2) while you're still living, to give someone you trust the authority to make financial and healthcare decisions for you if you become unable to do so.

That's a simplified version, but it pretty much sums up the essence of an estate plan. 

The documents that make up your estate plan will include a Will (sometimes accompanied by the formation of a testamentary trust), a Power of Attorney for financial matters, and a Personal Directive (also called a Living Will, Healthcare Directive or Medical Directive), for healthcare and personal care matters.

Every person who owns assets, investments, or personal property that they want passed on to family members or others needs to have a Will, so that your property and personal items are distributed according to your wishes.

And each of us faces the uncertainty of a future time where we may no longer be able—whether physically or mentally—to make decisions for ourselves.

That is why every Canadian adult should make an estate plan—to ensure your wishes are followed, and to give both you and your loved ones peace of mind.

Learn more about making an estate plan in Canada.

What is the scope of this questionnaire?

The Estate Planning Checklist & Questionnaire will help you compile the data and provide the answers your legal and financial advisors will need to prepare your estate plan documents (will, trust, power of attorney, health care directive, etc.).

The Questionnaire will assist you in pulling together information your advisors and executors will need regarding:

• personal and family information
• assets and investments in your name, or jointly held with others
• life insurance policies
• liabilities you are responsible for
• business information, including farming interests
• personal balance sheet and income statement
• a list of documents your legal and financial advisors will want to review
• digital assets and online accounts

There are two versions of the digital assets section. One version is for your executors, which includes log-in details and information about:

• email accounts
• websites and domains you own
• social media, blogs and other user-generated content
• shopping accounts
• affiliate accounts and online revenue streams (such as Etsy, EBay, Amazon Handmade, Kijiji, etc)
• cryptocurrency accounts
• online banking and investment accounts

The other version of this digital assets section is for your lawyer and financial advisor, and does NOT include any usernames, passwords, passkeys, codes or other log-in details.

Once you have answered all questions in each section, you and your advisors will be able to prepare your estate plan documents with ease.

Learn more about digital assets:  What is a digital footprint? Should it be part of your will?

Templates for Canadians by Canadians

This document makes references to Canadian taxes and registered savings plans, but could be used in other countries with relatively minor changes to the specific questions.

The Estate Planning Checklist & Questionnaire for Canada is available as a downloadable MS Word template. You can reuse this document for other members of your family. Buy once, use as often as you like.

Our document templates are created by human professionals, in some instances with assistance from AI tools. They are always reviewed, vetted and finalized by humans. 

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