A Canadian Affidavit of Heirship is a sworn written statement used to identify the legal heirs of a deceased person (the Decedent) and to describe the estate property associated with the Decedent. The document is made under oath or solemn affirmation by a person who has personal knowledge of the Decedent’s family and heirs — typically a family member, close acquaintance, or the estate trustee — and is sworn before an authorized official such as a commissioner of oaths, notary public, or lawyer.

The Affidavit of Heirship is particularly important when a person dies intestate (without a valid will), because it establishes who is entitled to inherit the estate under the applicable provincial intestacy rules. Each Canadian province has its own succession legislation governing intestate distribution: Ontario’s Succession Law Reform Act (R.S.O. 1990, c. S.26), British Columbia’s Wills, Estates and Succession Act (S.B.C. 2009, c. 13), Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act (S.A. 2010, c. W-12.2), and equivalent legislation in other provinces and territories.

The affidavit is also used when a will exists but the identity of heirs needs to be formally established for property transfers, financial institution requirements, or land title registry procedures. Making a false statement in the document constitutes perjury under section 131 of the Criminal Code of Canada (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46), carrying a maximum penalty of fourteen years imprisonment. The Canada Evidence Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-5) establishes the admissibility of sworn statements in federal proceedings.

A Canadian Affidavit of Heirship is needed in several critical estate administration scenarios. Intestate estate distribution requires the affidavit when a person dies without a valid will and the heirs need to establish their entitlement under provincial succession legislation. Each province’s intestacy rules define a specific hierarchy of heirs — in Ontario under the Succession Law Reform Act, the surviving spouse receives a preferential share (currently $350,000) with the remainder divided among the spouse and children.

Probate applications in many provinces require an affidavit identifying the heirs as part of the application for a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee (Ontario), Grant of Probate or Grant of Administration (other provinces). Small estate procedures — such as Ontario’s small estate certificate for estates valued under $150,000 — rely heavily on heirship affidavits as supporting documentation.

Financial institutions including banks, credit unions, and investment firms require formal identification of heirs before releasing funds from the deceased’s accounts, RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, and other registered accounts. Life insurance companies require heir identification for policy payouts when no beneficiary is designated or the designated beneficiary has predeceased.

Real property transfers through provincial land registry offices require the affidavit to establish which heirs are entitled to the deceased’s real property interest. Unclaimed property and unclaimed bank balance claims under provincial unclaimed property legislation (such as Ontario’s Unclaimed Intangible Property Act or Alberta’s Unclaimed Personal Property and Vested Property Act) require heirship affidavits as proof of entitlement. Government benefits including CPP death benefits and survivor’s pensions may also require heir identification.

A valid Canadian Affidavit of Heirship must include the following essential components. The header identifies the province or territory and municipality where the affidavit is sworn. The Affiant’s information includes their full legal name, residential address, and relationship to the Decedent — establishing their capacity and personal knowledge of the family.

The Decedent’s information includes their full legal name, date of death, and the municipality and province where the death occurred. The will status must be stated — whether the Decedent died intestate or left a valid will — as this determines whether provincial intestacy rules apply. The Decedent’s marital status at death is critical because Canadian provinces recognize different categories of relationships (married spouse, common-law partner, separated spouse) with varying inheritance rights.

The estate description identifies the property by type, street address, municipality, province, postal code, and legal description as recorded in the land title registry. An optional outstanding debts section lists the Decedent’s unpaid obligations, which must be paid from the estate before distribution to heirs under Canadian estate law.

The heirs section is the core of the document — it identifies each heir by full legal name, date of birth, residential address, and relationship to the Decedent. This information is used by courts, financial institutions, and land registry offices to determine entitlement under the applicable succession legislation. A witness section provides corroboration from a disinterested party who knows the family.

The perjury notice warns that false statements constitute criminal offences under sections 131 and 134 of the Criminal Code. The jurat records the oath administration details, and a governing law clause identifies the applicable provincial succession legislation.