The Wills and Succession Act (“WSA”) came into force in Alberta on February 1, 2012. The WSA repeals and replaces signifi cant portions of the legislation that governed wills and succession in Alberta. Some of the changes introduced by the WSA include:

1. Divorce (or the termination of an adult interdependent relationship) revokes a gift in a Will made to a former spouse or adult interdependent partner and revokes the appointment of a former spouse or partner as executor of the Will. The gift or appointment will not be revoked if a contrary intention is expressed in the Will. Under the WSA, marriage, or the entering into of an adult interdependent partner agreement, will not revoke a Will, as was previously the case.

2. When two people die in circumstances where it is not possible to determine the order of death, each person will be deemed to have predeceased the other...

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