True or False: Dower rights grant a spouse a life estate upon the death of the other spouse, regardless of other arrangements made in a will.

Dower rights generally refer to a legal provision that grants a surviving spouse entitlement to a portion of their deceased spouse's real property. The essence of dower rights is that they provide a surviving spouse with a life estate, giving them the right to use and benefit from the property for the duration of their life, irrespective of the provisions made in a will. This legal protection is aimed at ensuring that a surviving spouse is not wholly disinherited and has access to necessary resources.

While dower rights may vary based on provincial legislation concerning marital property, the fundamental principle is that these rights exist independently of other testamentary intentions. Therefore, they would automatically confer a life estate to the surviving spouse upon the death of their partner, regardless of alternate arrangements expressed in a will.

Options suggesting that these rights depend on additional agreements, like a prenuptial, or upon specific provincial rules, introduce variables that complicate the straightforward nature of dower rights. In many regions, the entitlement to dower rights is entrenched within the law to protect the interests of the surviving spouse, illustrating the underlying rationale for their independent existence.