Estate planning
Protect the people you built everything for
Wills, powers of attorney and trust declarations drafted properly under Ontario law — and steady guidance for families administering an estate.
Estate planning addresses everything you own — and everyone you are responsible for — at the moment you can no longer speak for yourself. The purpose is simple: make sure your wishes are followed and your loved ones are protected from uncertainty, conflict and unnecessary tax.
Planning services
- Wills — from straightforward mirror wills for couples to plans with trusts for minor children or family members with disabilities, and secondary wills for business owners to reduce Estate Administration Tax.
- Continuing power of attorney for property — who manages your finances if you cannot.
- Power of attorney for personal care — who makes health and personal decisions, with your wishes recorded.
- Trust declarations — including bare trust declarations used in real estate ownership structures.
Estate administration
When someone passes away, we guide estate trustees through the whole process: determining whether a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee is needed, preparing the application, calculating Estate Administration Tax, notifying beneficiaries, transferring real estate, and accounting to the beneficiaries at the end. Where disputes arise — will challenges or dependant support claims — our litigation practice steps in.
Where we serve clients
One office in Mississauga, with Google Meet consultations across Ontario. Pick your city for local court and travel details.
Estate planning questions
Do I need to have a will drafted?+
It is highly encouraged. A will leaves instructions on how your estate is distributed, names the estate trustee you trust to carry it out, and can name a guardian for minor children. Surveys consistently suggest about half of Canadians have no will at all — which leaves those decisions to a statute instead of to you.
What happens if I die without a will in Ontario?+
The Succession Law Reform Act decides. Your spouse takes a preferential share and the rest is divided between spouse and children by formula; common-law partners do not automatically inherit. Someone must apply to the court to administer the estate, which adds delay and cost at the worst possible time.
What are the two powers of attorney I keep hearing about?+
Under Ontario's Substitute Decisions Act, 1992: a continuing power of attorney for property lets your chosen person manage finances if you become incapable, and a power of attorney for personal care covers health and personal decisions. Without them, your family may need a court appointment to act for you.
What is the Estate Administration Tax?+
Ontario's tax on estates that need a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee. The first $50,000 of estate value is exempt; above that the tax is $15 per $1,000 of estate value (about 1.5%). Planning — including beneficiary designations and, for business owners, secondary wills — can reduce what passes through the estate.
Can my will be signed remotely?+
Ontario now permanently allows wills and powers of attorney to be witnessed by audio-visual communication, with conditions — including that one witness be a licensee of the Law Society of Ontario. We arrange compliant remote signings where in-person signing is not practical.
Put your plan in place this month
Your first 15 minutes are a free intake call. Substantive advice is billed at $199 per half-hour (CAD), and we confirm the rate with you before billed time begins. Meet us by Google Meet video call or in person at 25 Watline Avenue, Unit GR21, Mississauga. Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM.