Wills and mandates
Search for a will or mandate
Are you looking for a will or a protection mandate? You must search through the Registers of wills and mandates of the Barreau du Québec.
Canada Post strike
The current strike at Canada Post is preventing us from delivering testamentary and mandate search certificates. While this situation is beyond our control, we are committed to minimizing any inconvenience it may cause.
Submitted a search request? Once your search certificate is ready, you will receive an email confirming the result, along with an unofficial copy of the certificate in PDF format. Since institutions usually require an official document, the official certificate will be mailed to you as soon as Canada Post services resume.
If you urgently require the original paper certificate, you can pick it up at the reception desk of the Maison du Barreau. The desk is open Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (including lunch hours), at the following address:
Maison du Barreau
445 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Montreal, Quebec H2Y 3T8
To avoid unnecessary travel, please ensure you have received an email confirming the certificate is ready before coming to pick it up.
For any additional questions, please contact Info-Barreau, Monday to Friday, from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.:
514-954-3411 or toll-free 1-844-954-3411
infobarreau@barreau.qc.ca
Thank you for your understanding.
Perform a search
With this search, you can obtain a search certificate confirming whether a will or mandate has been registered in the Registers of wills and mandates of the Barreau du Québec. If a will or mandate has been registered, you will obtain the contact information of the lawyer who has the document in question and you will be able to retrieve it from that lawyer.
It is important to also contact the Chambre des notaires du Québec to perform the same search so you can obtain a search certificate regarding the registers kept with respect to notaries.
You are a member of the public
If you realize, after submitting your request to the Barreau du Québec, that there is an error in your search request, please contact us at registredestestaments@barreau.qc.ca or by calling 514 954-3411. We kindly ask that you do not submit a new search request.
- Choose how you want to make your request
ON-LINEOn-line searches are offered only for will searches. To make an on-line request, have your valid Visa or MasterCard credit card on hand as well as the original document issued by the Directeur de l’État civil entitled “Copy of an Act of Death” or “Death certificate”.
This document must be scanned and sent as a PDF, JPEG or GIF file that does not exceed 4 MB. If the scanned document is not attached to your request, your request will not be transmitted.
Perform an on-line search -
Make your payment
ON-LINE
By valid credit card (Visa or MasterCard) through the secure on-line application for an amount of $17.25 (including taxes).BY MAIL
By valid credit card (Visa or MasterCard) or by certified cheque or money order payable to the Barreau du Québec for an amount of $23 (including taxes). -
Submit your request
ON-LINE
Submit your request, your scanned document and your payment on-line.BY MAIL
Send your request by mail.
Don't forget to include:- Your completed and signed form.
- Your payment.
- Your required documents, namely,
- For a will search: the original document issued by the Directeur de l’État civil entitled “Copy of an Act of Death” or “Death certificate”. We will keep the original.
- For a mandate search: originals of a recent medical and psychosocial assessment ascertaining the incapacity of the mandator or a recent report of the director general of a health and social services establishment, together with a sworn statement establishing your interest as regards the mandator.
We will keep the originals. If you would like the originals returned to you, please include a photocopy (in addition to the original).
The documents must be mailed to the following address:Registers of wills and mandates of the Barreau du Québec
Maison du Barreau
445 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Montreal, Québec H2Y 3T8
The search certificate will be sent to you by mail within the following time frame:
- If the death or incapacity occurred less than two weeks before your request, your search certificate will be mailed within three weeks following the receipt of your request.
- If the death or incapacity occurred more than two weeks before your request, your search certificate will be mailed within two weeks following the receipt of your request.
Note
It is important to also contact the Chambre des notaires du Québec to perform the same search so you can obtain a search certificate regarding the registers kept with respect to notaries.
Vous êtes avocat ou notaire
Si vous constatez, après avoir transmis votre demande au Barreau, qu’une erreur s’est glissée dans le contenu de votre demande de recherche, veuillez communiquer avec nous à registredestestaments@barreau.qc.ca ou en composant le 514 954-3411. Nous vous prions de ne pas effectuer une nouvelle demande de recherche.
- Utiliser l'application en ligne
Remplir vos demandes en portant attention aux instructions mises à votre disposition sur certains des champs. Si vous avez déjà rempli une demande, vous n’avez qu’à entrer votre code postal et vos coordonnées s’afficheront automatiquement. Vous pouvez entrer plus d’une demande lors d’une même session et ne faire qu’un seul paiement à la fin. Veuillez toutefois noter que seule la dernière demande entrée pourra être modifiée et que les demandes ne seront traitées qu’une fois le paiement effectué. Le Barreau du Québec ne peut être tenu responsable d'une erreur à un certificat lorsque cette erreur découle d'une information manquante ou erronée à la demande de recherche. Veuillez donc vous assurer que toutes les informations inscrites à votre demande sont exactes.
Effectuer une recherche en ligne - Effectuer votre paiement en ligne sur notre application sécurisée en utilisant une carte de crédit valide (Visa ou MasterCard).
- Soumettre votre ou vos demandes avec votre paiement en attestant sous votre serment d’office de la véracité des renseignements contenus à votre ou vos demandes de recherche.
Votre demande de recherche sera traitée une fois le formulaire de demande de recherche soumis et le paiement acquitté.
Demande Web – finale : 17,25 $
Demande Web – provisoire : 17,25 $
Demande urgente : 34,50 $
Télécopieur : 6,90 $
Demande additionnelle : 5,75 $
Taxes comprises
Prenez note qu’en vertu d’un jugement rendu par la Cour supérieure en décembre 2022, une recherche d’historiques aux registres des mandats et testaments est possible sur ordonnance de la Cour seulement. On peut prendre connaissance de ce jugement de la Cour supérieure et des balises qui ont été précisées en matière de recherche historique en cliquant ici.