A man with white hair sits beside a young woman. They look at a book together.

ESTATE SETTLEMENT

Succession: One step at a time.

Fulfilling the final wishes of a deceased person is a responsibility taken on during an already difficult time.

Learn about the estate settlement process and what documents you’ll need.

What it means to be an estate liquidator.

As the liquidator, also known as the executor, you’re responsible for making important financial, legal and tax-related decisions in managing the estate.

The liquidator is also responsible for liquidating the estate, known in Quebec law as the succession. This includes all accounts, property and debts in the deceased’s name.

To help you better understand your role and responsibilities, visit the Civil Code of Québec and the Chambre des notaires du Québec websites. You’ll find the links, as well as commonly used estate terms, in our help section.

Go to Helpful guides and resources

Estate settlement process.

Settling an estate can take several months, depending on how complex it is. We’re here to guide you through the 4 key steps of the process.

Prepare for estate settlement.

Notify us of the death.
Gather all required original documents.
Once you’ve gathered all original documents, book a meeting with an advisor to begin the process.

Refer to list of required documents

Start the settlement process.

At the first meeting, you can expect to:

present the required original documents for validation.
open the estate account.
complete the estate settlement request and any other necessary documents.

Once the file has been reviewed, your advisor will contact you to schedule a second meeting to finalize the settlement.

How long the meetings will take depends on the details of the estate you’re settling.

Finalize the settlement.

At the second meeting you will:

sign the Declaration of Transmission.
receive the assets according to the instructions outlined in the Declaration.
get a summary of the transactions completed after the death, along with other relevant documents.

Estate planning.

If you wish, your advisor can help with the financial planning of your inheritance.

List of documents you’ll need.

Here’s a list of the original documents required to start the estate settlement process. The documents required depends on the type of will.

Note: We can only start the settlement process once you’ve provided all the original documents listed.¹

Notarial will and/or marriage contract containing a testamentary clause.

What it is: Document prepared by a notary, assisted by one witness—or in some cases, two witnesses—through which the testator (the deceased) disposes of all or part of their property upon death. For more definitions, refer to the estate glossary (PDF, 124 KB).

Original death certificate OR certified copy of the act of death issued by the Directeur de l’état civil

Notarial will Codicil, if applicable Marriage or civil union contract, if applicable Divorce judgment, if applicable Will search certificates from the Chambre des notaires du Québec and the Barreau du Québec