Wills Act modernization

This engagement is now closed.

It ran from 2019-11-07 to 2019-12-23.

Check below for where to find results.

Where can I find results? 

Download the What We Heard report 

What was this engagement about? 

The Government of Yukon sought direction on how Yukon’s Wills Act should be updated. The Wills Act has not been amended since it came into force in 1954. A review of the Act revealed that there are some provisions that should be updated to reflect the needs of modern society and to keep pace with changes to legislation in other Canadian jurisdictions.

Based on the review we are considering the following amendments:

  • revise the formal requirements of wills to align with legislation in other Canadian jurisdictions;
  • add provisions related to common law spouses, divorce, and separation;
  • enable courts to correct errors and save failed gifts when there is sufficient evidence that doing so would follow the testator’s intentions;
  • continue to accept holograph (handwritten) wills; and
  • enable a registry of wills to be created.
How will my input make a difference? 

Your input will help to determine whether and how these changes should be implemented, and will be used to determine the best choice among the options being considered.     

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