A printable checkbox companion to keep you on track — and out of trouble — as executor.
Who this is for & what you'll get: Anyone serving as an executor (in Ontario, an estate trustee) who wants a single, tick-as-you-go list of the tasks involved in settling an estate. Print it, work top to bottom, and check things off. For the full explanation behind each task, use this alongside our Executor's Roadmap guide.
⚖️ This is a general guide, not legal advice. It can't account for your specific situation. Use it to get oriented, then confirm the details with a licensed Ontario lawyer.
How to use this checklist
Tasks are grouped roughly in the order you'll do them, but several overlap. Don't treat the order as rigid — treat the two big rules as rigid:
⚠️ The two rules that protect you from personal liability:
- Keep records of everything — every dollar in, every dollar out, every decision. Your protection as executor is a clean paper trail.
- Don't distribute the estate until debts and taxes are paid and you have a CRA clearance certificate. Pay beneficiaries too early and you can be personally on the hook.
Immediate (first days)
- Locate the original Will and confirm you're the named executor.
Why it matters: everything you do flows from your authority under the Will.
- Arrange the funeral (check for pre-paid plans or written wishes).
- Secure the home and property — lock up, redirect mail, cancel deliveries.
- Arrange care for any pets right away.
Why it matters: pets are dependants no document can feed — someone must step in immediately.
- Protect valuables, cash, and vehicles.
- Confirm property insurance stays in force — tell the insurer the home may be vacant.
Why it matters: a standard policy can lapse on a vacant home after a set number of days.
Weeks 1–4
Proof of death
- Get multiple statements of death from the funeral home.
- Order death certificate(s) from ServiceOntario (fee per copy — verify current amount).
Why it matters: nearly every institution wants its own proof, and re-ordering is slow.
Notifications
- Notify the banks and financial institutions.
- Notify the beneficiaries named in the Will of their interest.
- Notify the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) of the death.
- Cancel/transfer government items — CPP/OAS, health card, driver's licence, passport — and apply for the CPP death benefit if eligible.
Why it matters: benefit payments received after death usually must be repaid.
- Notify pensions, insurers, utilities, subscriptions, and memberships.
Inventory
- Build a written inventory of assets with date-of-death values.
- Build a written inventory of debts (mortgage, loans, cards, taxes).
- Note assets that pass outside the estate — jointly held property and accounts with a named beneficiary (insurance, RRSP/RRIF/TFSA).
Why it matters: these usually don't pass through your hands or through probate.
- Get formal valuations (real estate appraisal, business valuation) where values matter.
Probate (if required)
- Determine whether probate is actually needed (ask each institution and a lawyer).
- If needed, prepare the application for a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee (Superior Court of Justice).
- Calculate the Estate Administration Tax (the provincial probate fee based on estate value). Rate and any small-estate exemption are set by Ontario law and change — verify current figures.
- File the application and wait for the certificate (court processing times vary widely).
Why it matters: many assets — especially real estate and larger balances — won't be released without it.
Estate account and debts
- Open a dedicated estate bank account in the estate's name.
Why it matters: mixing estate money with your own breaches a core duty and invites liability.
- Close the deceased's accounts and move balances into the estate account.
- Run every estate expense and receipt through that one account.
- Pay the estate's legitimate debts in the correct legal priority.
Why it matters: if the estate might not cover everything, paying the wrong people first can make you personally liable — get advice.
- Keep a running ledger of all transactions.
Taxes and clearance certificate
- File the deceased's final (terminal) tax return.
- File any estate/trust returns for income earned after death.
- Pay all taxes owing from the estate account.
- Request a CRA clearance certificate confirming taxes are settled.
Why it matters: distribute before clearance and CRA can pursue you personally for unpaid tax. The certificate can take many months — plan for it.
Tip: Consider holding back a reserve and making only a partial interim distribution earlier, keeping enough to cover remaining taxes and expenses. Get advice before doing so.
Distribution and wrap-up
- Prepare a final statement of accounts for the beneficiaries.
- Distribute the specific gifts and the residue per the Will.
- Obtain a signed release from each beneficiary.
Why it matters: releases confirm receipt and approve your handling of the estate.
- Take any executor's compensation you're entitled to (disclose it; it usually needs beneficiary or court approval).
- Close the estate account once everything clears.
- Retain all records for several years in case a question arises.
Tip: If beneficiaries dispute the accounts, you can ask the court to approve them in a passing of accounts. It adds cost but gives you a formal discharge.
What's next
Working through this list is a months-long job — a typical Ontario estate takes roughly a year — and several steps reward professional help. Two companion guides go deeper:
- The Executor's Roadmap: Your First Year — the same journey explained phase by phase, with timing and liability warnings.
- Executor Tax Checklist — a focused walkthrough of the final return, estate returns, and the all-important clearance certificate.
⚠️ If at any point the estate may not have enough to pay all debts and taxes — stop and get legal advice immediately. This is exactly when a wrong move creates personal liability.
How Treadstone Law can help
You don't have to carry an estate alone. Treadstone Law helps Ontario executors with as much or as little as you need — from the probate application to the clearance certificate to final distribution — with clear flat fees and an easy online start. We serve the whole province virtually, with an office in Mississauga.
- Flat, transparent fees. See treadstonelaw.ca/pricing.
- Start your file online at treadstonelaw.ca/start-file.
- More on our estate administration services at treadstonelaw.ca/wills-estates.
- Prefer to talk? Call 1-844-900-1070.
We'll help you settle the estate correctly — and keep you protected at every step.
This is not legal advice
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Ontario laws, tax rates, and government programs change, and how the law applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, speak with a licensed Ontario lawyer. Treadstone Law is licensed by the Law Society of Ontario — reach us at 1-844-900-1070 or start a file online.