Alberta
What to do when someone dies in Alberta: a step-by-step checklist
An Alberta checklist for the first days after a death: registering the death, ordering certificates, applying for a Grant of Probate, and the notifications specific to Alberta.
- Called
- personal representative
- Court authority
- Grant of Probate
- Death registered with
- Alberta Vital Statistics
Alberta calls the person who administers an estate the personal representative — named in the will, or appointed by the court where there is no will. Alberta's Estate Administration Act sets out what that person is responsible for, and the Surrogate Rules govern the court forms.
Registering the death in Alberta
The funeral director registers the death with Alberta Vital Statistics using the medical certificate of death and the registration of death form. Once registered, you can order death certificates through a registry agent. As elsewhere, order several — banks and insurers rarely return them.
Grant of Probate in Alberta
Where court authority is needed, the personal representative applies to the Court of King's Bench for a Grant of Probate — or a Grant of Administration when there is no will. Alberta's court fees for a grant are set on a sliding scale by estate value and are modest compared with several other provinces.
- The application includes a detailed inventory of property and debts, with values as of the date of death.
- Alberta requires notice to beneficiaries and, in some cases, to family members who could make a claim under family maintenance and support rules.
- Land titles transfers go through Alberta Land Titles, which will want to see the grant.
- Registered accounts and insurance with a named beneficiary generally pass directly to that person, outside the estate.
Alberta-specific notifications
- Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan — cancel coverage.
- Alberta Registries or a registry agent — driver's licence, vehicle registration and plates.
- Alberta Land Titles, where real property is held.
- Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) or Alberta Seniors Benefit, if received.
- Workers' Compensation Board Alberta, if the death is work-related.
The oil, gas and land question
Alberta estates more often include mineral titles, surface leases, farmland or quarter sections held for decades. These take longer to value and transfer than a bank account, and they are frequently the thing nobody in the family knew existed. Writing down what is owned, and where the title documents are kept, saves a personal representative months.
Steps that are the same everywhere in Canada
- 1Get the legal pronouncement of death. In hospital or long-term care, staff handle it. At home, call 911 unless the death was expected and a plan is in place.
- 2Contact the funeral home or crematorium. They register the death and file the paperwork that produces the death certificate.
- 3Find the will and any funeral or burial wishes before arrangements are finalized.
- 4Tell close family and the person's employer. Ask the employer about group life insurance, a final pay period and benefits for a surviving spouse.
- 5Secure the home, pets, vehicles and anything of value. Redirect the mail once you have authority to do so.
- 6Do not cancel anything paid automatically until you know what it covers — insurance especially.
Federal notifications
- Service Canada — cancel the Social Insurance Number, Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement, and apply for the Canada Pension Plan death benefit, survivor's pension and children's benefit. In Quebec, this is Retraite Québec instead.
- Canada Revenue Agency — report the date of death, stop benefit payments such as the GST/HST credit and Canada Child Benefit, and file the final T1 return.
- Passport Canada — return the passport for cancellation.
- Veterans Affairs Canada, if the person served.
- Any federal pension plan the person contributed to.
General information about public processes in Alberta, not legal or tax advice. Confirm current requirements with the province or a lawyer.
Everything above starts with finding information.
A Life Box holds the documents, accounts, policies, property and people your personal representative would otherwise have to go looking for — organized while you're here, released only after authority is verified.