4. Learn what happens if you have other dependants

A dependant is a person you were supporting financially before you died or a person the law says you must support. This could be your spouse, ex-spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, grandparent, brother, or sister.

Besides your married spouse and children, other dependants you have might not get anything if you die without a will. For example, you might have:

• a stepchild you were supporting
• a sibling who couldn't work outside the home and relied on you to pay the bills
• a parent you were supporting

Ontario law says you must financially support your dependants if you can. So dependants who don't get anything under the intestacy rules might be able to go to court and make a claim for a share of your estate. This is called making a dependant's support claim.