Will made in the presence of witnesses

Category and limits

Complete template to fill in yourself · category A · practice area : Estates · offered in case files of type : Estates

Complete template that you fill in for your own file. The fixed text only carries the mentions the cited provisions require; the facts, choices and requests are yours. The tool does not file, serve, swear or send anything, does not choose a remedy or a deadline for you, and guarantees no outcome (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, s. 128: “to prepare and draw up a notice, motion, proceeding or other similar document intended for use in a case before the courts”, “performed for others”, is the exclusive prerogative of the practising advocate or solicitor).

What the provisions read require

• C.C.Q., art. 712 — French text: the only forms of will are “notarié, olographe ou devant témoins”. (LégisQuébec — Code civil du Québec, read on 2026-10-21)
• C.C.Q., art. 726 — French text: the holograph will is “entièrement écrit par le testateur et signé par lui, autrement que par un moyen technique”. A printed will can never be a holograph will. (LégisQuébec — Code civil du Québec, read on 2026-10-21)
• C.C.Q., art. 727 — “A will made in the presence of witnesses is written by the testator or by a third person. The testator then declares in the presence of two witnesses of full age that the document he is presenting is his will. He need not divulge its contents. He signs it at the end or, if he has already signed it, acknowledges his signature; he may also cause a third person to sign it for him in his presence and according to his instructions. The witnesses sign the will forthwith in the presence of the testator.” (LégisQuébec, read on 2026-11-03) (LégisQuébec — Code civil du Québec, read on 2026-10-21)
• C.C.Q., art. 728 — French text: if written by a third person or by technical means, the testator and the witnesses “parapher ou signer chaque page” that does not bear their signature. (LégisQuébec — Code civil du Québec, read on 2026-10-21)
• Québec.ca, Testament devant témoins (updated 20 October 2025) — French text: “Vous devez déclarer, devant 2 témoins majeurs et aptes, que le document est votre testament.”; a person writing it for you “ne peut cependant pas être l’un de vos légataires”; for a will written by another person or by computer, the testator and witnesses sign or initial each page. (Gouvernement du Québec — Testament devant témoins, read on 2026-10-21)
• Brochure “Mon testament” (February 2022) — French text: witnesses at the signing “ne peuvent hériter de vous”; one of the witnesses must be able to provide a sworn statement for the verification of the will. (Justice Québec — Mon testament (brochure, « conforme à la loi en vigueur en février 2022 »), read on 2026-10-21)

Time limits read

• No deadline: a will is revocable at any time (brochure). At death, a will made before witnesses is verified by the Superior Court or a notary (brochure; C.C.Q., art. 772).

Exhibits and documents

• No exhibit. Keep the signed original in a safe place and tell a trusted person where it is (brochure; Québec.ca).

To verify (not read or not settled)

• C.C.Q., art. 760 (legacies to witnesses) and arts. 763 ff. (revocation): NOT READ; the rule shown comes from the brochure and Québec.ca.
• The brochure (February 2022) predates the parental union: art. 653 C.C.Q. (2024, c. 22) now makes a spouse in a parental union a legal heir (13-01, deduced).
• Persons who cannot read or speak (arts. 729-730): formalities not covered by this template.

Complete template (category A) for a will made before witnesses. The headings follow the structure of the Ministry brochure “Mon testament” (February 2022) without reproducing its text; the signature clause states the formalities of arts. 727-728 C.C.Q. The export carries no “working document” mark, since you sign it as your will; it never produces a holograph will. Québec statutes and most Québec sources linked here were read in French; English wording in this guide is an unofficial summary unless an official English text is linked.

Preuve en main is a preparation and legal-information tool. It gives no legal advice, replaces neither a lawyer nor the official form, and guarantees no outcome.