We have previously blogged on the discussion between Ontario Attorney General, Doug Downey, and the Estates Bar regarding legal policy reform. This discussion occurred on August 6, 2020, and was facilitated by the Ontario Bar Association. Our post focused on virtual witnessing of wills as a result of Covid-19 and considered the possibility of making this provision more permanent.

The focal point of today’s post will be s. 16 of Ontario’s Succession Law Reform Act and whether it should be repealed.

Section 16 provides for the revocation of a will upon marriage. At the August 2020 meeting, many participants were in favour of repealing this provision. Both British Columbia and Alberta have already amended their legislation to repeal this exact provision. Proponents of legislative change associate this provision with the rise in predatory marriages. The devastating consequences resulting from a predatory marriage generally impact the vulnerable elderly and their heirs.

The rationale underlying the provision’s enactment dates back hundreds of years to a time where the father of the bride was required to pay a dowry to the groom. Revocation of a prior will was required in order to protect the bride from any previous obligations laid out in the groom’s will and to ensure a “clean slate.” There are concerns by some that a new spouse might not be protected if a prior will remains valid after marriage. For example, if a valid will is upheld at marriage, a current spouse might not inherit if he/she is not included in that will.

Section 16 is debatably antiquated and historically redundant as there are now additional statutes in place to protect a new spouse in the event of a death, including the Family Law Act. Furthermore, s. 58 of the Succession Law Reform Act allows a spouse of a deceased to claim appropriate and adequate support as a dependant. It is apparent that revoking a will upon marriage is not the only protection available for a subsequent spouse.

With the demographics in our society rapidly changing and the obvious need to protect those most vulnerable, now is as good a time as ever to reconsider the necessity of s. 16.

Thanks for reading!

Suzana Popovic-Montag & Tori Joseph