DUE EXECUTION OF A WILL - PART III
The Succession Law Reform Act ("SLRA") requires that the will be signed or acknowledged in the present of two or more witnesses present at the same time. If the will is not signed in the presence of the two witnesses, the signature can be acknowledged. This requires: a. that the signature be on the document at the time of the acknowledgement; b. that the witnesses see or have the opportunity to see the signature; and c. that the testator, by acts or words, indicate that he or shee has signed the document. The witnesses do not need to know that they are attesting to a will.
The SLRA requires that the witnesses each subscribe the will in the presence of the testator. They must also be present at the same time when the testator makes or acknowledges his signature. In a British Columbia case, Simkins Estate v. Simkins, the Court granted probate where the testator signed the will in the presence of only one of the witnesses, who then subscribed the will. The testator, moments later, acknowledged his signature in the presence of both of the witnesses, and the second witness signed the will. The court held that while, technically, the first witness should have re-signed the will, "To rule such a will invalid is an absurdity and, what is worse, a total defeat of the acknowledged intent of the testator by means of a document that complied with all the formalities, save and except the exact sequence, that have been held to be necessary." (The outcome of this case may have been different if it was decided in Ontario.
Tomorrow, I will discuss the issue of "substantial compliance", and whether it applies in Ontario.) The witnesses must sign after the testator and not before. They need not both be present when they sign as witnesses, although they both need to be present when the testator signs or acknowledges her signature. Therefore, a will can be valid where one witness leaves before the other witness signs. The testator must be able to see the witnesses attest, if he chooses. Thus, if a testator is unable to move, and is not facing the witnesses when they sign, the will may be invalidated(!). Similarly, witnesses must have the opportunity of seeing the testator's signature, whether it be signed in their presence, or acknowledged. A will will not be valid where the testator's signature is covered up.
Have a good day, Paul Trudelle
