A Will is not a panacea that can solve all the problems of a estate, but is indispensable indeed. Recently the media published several articles about Aretha Franklin death and the fact that she did not have a will. Certainly there will be several disputes and many lawyers will profit charging hefty fees. In the end her heirs might receive just a small fraction of her estate... A couple of years before her, another famous artist passed away intestate - Prince. Once again, only a fraction of his fortune will pass along to his heirs.
Below I included an article from Globe and Mail with some alarming statistics about Canadians: "Still, 51 per cent of Canadians do not have a last will and testament in place, according to an Angus Reid poll conducted earlier this year." Not only this, but the poll also found that "Twenty-five per cent said they’re too young to have a will, while 8 per cent said they don’t want to think about dying." This is really bad, since "If you die without a will in Canada, provincial legislation determines who will administer your estate, including decisions about funeral arrangements, where your assets will go, and more." There are many other complicating factors, like having property in more than one Province, blended families, prolonged sickness, etc.