A Will: One More Way to Protect Your Family

03/17/2026

When you become a mother, something shifts. You think ahead in ways you never did before. You plan, you prepare, you anticipate needs before they arise.

And if something ever happened to you, you know your partner would step in and care for your child. So why think about a Will at all? Because when young parents create a Will, they aren’t planning for one of them to be gone, they’re planning for the possibility – however unlikely – that both of them aren’t there. So you need a plan.

What if BOTH of You Were Gone?

If both of you were gone, who would raise your child? You’d want someone who shares your values, provides stability and love, and makes your child feel safe. A Will allows you to name that person – a Guardian.

With no Will, a Guardian cannot be appointed without court involvement at an already overwhelming time for your child. With a Will, your wishes are clear.

For most young families, this is the single most important reason to have a Will.

”But Doesn’t Everything Just Go to Family Anyway?”

In Alberta, if someone dies without a Will, their estate generally passes to their spouse and children under the default rules in the Wills and Succession Act. So, it’s true – many couples don’t “need” a Will for assets to flow to family.

But those default rules don’t:

• Let you choose a Guardian.
• Let you choose your Executor (called the “Personal Representative” in Alberta) – the person who handles the administration of your estate.
• Let you decide when your child should receive their inheritance.

A Will gives you these choices.

A Quiet, Practical Act of Love

A Will isn’t about expecting something bad to happen. It’s about being thoughtful, about sitting down together and saying, “If we weren’t here:

• Who steps in?
• Who protects our child?
• Who carries out our wishes?”

And, the key is to just start to create your Will – you’ll find that it’s not as difficult as you may have thought.

“But it’s Expensive!”

Nope, not as much as you might think and you don’t need an expensive lawyer. The one-time cost is about as much as two months of cell phones and utilities bills.

What a Will REALLY does.

Having a Will does all the things above, after you’re gone. But while you’re here, it gives you something priceless. Peace of Mind.

Why Darcy at Plan Your Estate?

I have an easy and friendly process to get this done for you. I’m a professional, a CPA, CA and a CEA (Certified Executor Advisor), as well as a Dad and a Grandpa. I call myself a Will “facilitator”, removing the many barriers to creating a Will as well as many of the legal complications so you can understand the process.

And to get this done, I come to you. Most of the Wills that I’ve created for young families were signed at a very comfortable place – their kitchen table.

So, why wait to give this gift to yourself and your family?

www.planyour.estate