When should I update my estate plan after getting remarried in Ontario?

You should still update your estate plan soon after remarrying, even though the reason has changed. Until January 1, 2022, marriage in Ontario automatically revoked a prior will, so waiting too long could leave you unintentionally intestate. The Accelerating Access to Justice Act, 2021 repealed that rule — an existing will now survives the marriage on its own. But a pre-marriage will rarely reflects a new spouse properly, so review is still urgent, just for a different reason: your plan may simply be out of date for your new family.

Updating your will is only the first step. A second marriage in a blended family usually requires a comprehensive review of your entire estate plan. This includes changing beneficiary designations on RRSPs, TFSAs, pensions, and life insurance, which pass outside the estate and may still name an ex-spouse if never updated. It includes reviewing any existing trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives, and thinking carefully about the family home, especially if children from a prior relationship have a stake in it.

It also means confronting difficult conversations: how do you balance obligations to a new spouse with protecting your children's inheritance? What if you die young and your spouse remarries? Getting these answers into a binding plan — a will, trusts, or a marriage contract — protects everyone involved.