{"id":2430,"date":"2026-11-12T06:21:55","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T06:21:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/disinherited-reasons-in-will-bc\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T06:21:55","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T06:21:55","slug":"disinherited-reasons-in-will-bc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/disinherited-reasons-in-will-bc\/","title":{"rendered":"Disinherited with reasons written in the will: do those reasons hold up in BC?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Pardeep S. Grewal<\/a>, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation \u00b7 Reviewed November 11, 2026<\/p>\n

Pardeep S. Grewal is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2024, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Updated November 11, 2026: the Wills, Estates and Succession Act (ss. 60, 62, 63) and the court decisions cited below checked that day.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The court looks at the reasons, but they aren’t the last word.<\/strong> Reasons in a will or a signed letter are evidence (WESA s. 62).<\/p>\n

The test:<\/strong> reasons need to be true and logically connected to the disinheritance, and are now also judged against what a reasonable parent would do.<\/p>\n

False or prejudiced reasons<\/strong> have led BC courts to vary wills.<\/p>\n

The test<\/a> \u00b7 Book a consultation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The lawyers who handle these estate files<\/p>\n

\"SundeepSundeep S. Grewal<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a>\"PardeepPardeep S. Grewal<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n
\nAbout our lawyers<\/summary>\n
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Sundeep S. Grewal<\/a><\/strong> founded Lawgical Law Corporation and practises probate, estate litigation and immigration. He has represented clients in the Provincial and Supreme Courts of British Columbia, from chambers applications to contested trials.<\/p>\n

Pardeep S. Grewal<\/a><\/strong> is a probate, estates and immigration lawyer known for clear communication and practical strategy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n

Some wills, or letters kept with them, explain why a child was left out: “she never visited”, “he was disrespectful”, “they’ve had enough from me already”. Reading that is painful, and many people assume it ends the matter. It doesn’t. In a BC wills variation claim, the court can consider the will-maker’s reasons, including any signed written statement, and must weigh how accurate they are in light of all the circumstances (WESA s. 62). Traditionally, BC courts have upheld a disinheritance where the reasons were valid, meaning based on true facts, and rational, meaning logically connected to cutting the child out. The BC Court of Appeal has since confirmed that the question is ultimately objective: what would a reasonable parent have done, by today’s standards? Reasons that turn out to be untrue, that are conclusions without facts behind them, or that are based on prejudice, have led courts to vary wills. Genuine long estrangement that wasn’t the parent’s fault, on the other hand, has often been upheld.<\/p>\n

Lawgical Law Corporation<\/a>, a probate and estate litigation law firm with offices in Surrey<\/a>, Abbotsford<\/a> and Vancouver, BC, acts for disinherited children and for estates defending a will-maker’s choices; this guide is by Pardeep S. Grewal.<\/p>\n

The test BC courts apply<\/h2>\n