Alberta
Estate
Administration.
Your field manual for grieving executors. The one we wish someone had handed us when the call came.
This guide provides general information about estate administration in Alberta. It is NOT legal advice, tax advice, or financial advice. The author is not a lawyer, accountant, or financial advisor. Laws and procedures change. Consult qualified professionals for advice specific to your situation.
Someone you loved died.
And now you're the executor.
Suddenly there are GA forms, creditor calls, CRA deadlines, family arguments, a house full of stuff, an empty bank account you can't access, and a nervous system that doesn't know where to file the grief.
Every other guide treats you like a procedural input — feed in the right templates, get out the right outcome. This one was written for the person at the kitchen table at 2am, who needs the next move clearly numbered, the form clearly named, and permission to feel exactly as wrecked as they feel.
You are not a probate machine. You are a human being who just lost someone. The estate can wait. Your nervous system cannot.
Thirteen sections. Plain language.
Zero motivational fluff.
- 01Estate Administration Triage
- 02First 72 Hours Protocol
- 03Practical Guide for Grieving Families
- 04Unexpected Claims & Disputes
- 05Tax Crisis Management
- 06Alberta Probate Process — Every GA Form Explained
- 07Assets & Property Management
- 08Taxes & CRA Requirements
- 09Professional Categories — Who to Hire and What to Pay
- 10Government Resources — Every Agency That Matters
- 11Document Storage Checklist
- 12Glossary of Legal Terms — Plain Language
- 13Operator Maintenance Protocol — Crisis Resources
Real situations. Not theory.
Lock the house, secure valuables, order ten certified death certificates, freeze accounts, locate the will, and don't pay a single estate debt from your personal account. Every step ordered by priority and time.
All twenty GA forms decoded in plain language. Surrogate court fees by estate value. Surrogate Digital Solution vs paper filing. What happens if there's no will. Holograph wills, codicils, and the difference between probate and a Grant of Administration.
The sibling who won't sign anything. The "surprise" family members. The aggressive creditors. The empty mortgaged house deteriorating in winter. The digital afterlife (passwords, crypto, social media). Each scenario with its own playbook.
Final T1, T3 trust returns, the Tax Clearance Certificate (TX19) that keeps you from being personally liable for unpaid taxes, CRA contact info, and what to do if the deceased had unfiled returns going back years.
Estate litigation lawyers vs estate administration lawyers vs real-estate lawyers — who you actually need, when, and what to ask. Realistic Alberta cost ranges. CPA fees for estate returns. Property appraisers. Funeral home pricing rules under the Fair Trading Act.
Because grief and probate are not a fair fight. The warning signs that the case is managing you instead of the other way around. Permission slips you don't have to ask for. Crisis resources, 24/7, with the right helplines for Alberta.
One price. No upsells.
If you're reading this within hours or days of a death, you don't need to buy anything right now. Breathe. Make the funeral home appointment. Call the people who love you. Come back to this when you're ready. The manual will still be here.
Frequently asked
Is this only useful in Alberta?
The probate procedure (Surrogate Court, GA forms, fees) is Alberta-specific. The tax sections (CRA, T1/T3, Clearance Certificate) and the practical/emotional chapters apply across Canada. If you're in another province, the strategic structure works — adapt the form names and court rules.
Who wrote it?
The lead author of this title is the founder of Hardcopy Crisis Systems and the designer behind the brand identity. The manual was first shipped in 2026 and is currently at Revision 2.3 after iterative improvements based on reader feedback.
What format do I get?
One 38-page PDF, instantly downloadable. Open in any free PDF reader. Print it, annotate it, hand it to a sibling — it's yours.
How does delivery work?
Checkout is handled by Stripe — secure, encrypted, takes thirty seconds. After payment, you'll get an email from us at hello@hardcopycrisis.com with the manual attached. Most buyers receive it within minutes; if it takes longer than an hour, check spam, then email us.
Does this replace a lawyer or accountant?
No. The manual is designed to make you a better-informed client of the lawyers and accountants you do hire — saving you their hours by doing the organizing yourself. Section 9 walks through exactly which professionals you need, when, and what to ask.
Refund policy?
Digital products are generally non-refundable once delivered. That said — if the manual genuinely doesn't fit your situation and you tell us within 14 days, we'll refund you. We'd rather you ask than feel stuck.