Wolk v Wolk 2021 BCSC 1881 reviewed the law of witnesses to a will receiving a gift under and the effect of S. 43 (4) of WESA .
A gift to a signatory witness is automatically void by statute, but the court may declare such a gift valid on application. The present application seeks a declaration that the gift of the estate to Michael and Lynda take effect.
Section 43 of WESA includes the following:
(1) Unless a court otherwise declares under subsection (4), a gift in a will is void if it is to
(a) a witness to the will-maker’s signature or to the spouse of that witness,
. . .
(3) If a gift is void under subsection (1), the remainder of the will is not affected.
(4) On application, the court may declare that a gift to a person referred to in subsection (1) is not void and is to take effect, if the court is satisfied that the will-maker intended to make the gift to the person even though the person or his or her spouse was a witness to the will.
(5) Extrinsic evidence is admissible for the purposes of establishing the will-maker’s intention under subsection (4).
Absent a declaration of validity under s. 43(4), there will be a partial intestacy under s. 25 of WESA. Here, a partial intestacy would lead to Dawson’s entire estate being distributed in accordance with s. 23 of WESA. Section 23 governs distribution where a deceased dies intestate and without a spouse, but with a “descendant” as defined by WESA.
Section 43(4) is centrally concerned with testamentary intent: Bach Estate, 2017 BCSC 548 at para. 54.
The Court found that the deceased wanted the witnesses to receive the bequests as a gift and allowed such under Rule 43(4)
