What does estate planning include?

At minimum a valid will and powers of attorney for property and personal care, plus named executors and up-to-date beneficiaries on registered accounts and insurance. Fuller plans address taxes, probate, and how to pass on a home or business.

What happens if someone dies without a will in Canada?

The estate is distributed by a provincial formula, not by the person's wishes, which can leave out intended people and create delays and family conflict. A court also appoints the administrator. A simple will avoids all of this.

Do I need a lawyer to make a will?

Not legally, but for anything beyond the simplest estate it is wise. A lawyer or notary makes sure the will is valid, reflects your wishes, and works with your powers of attorney and beneficiary designations to avoid expensive mistakes.

How much does a will and estate plan cost?

A basic will and powers of attorney are commonly a flat fee; more complex estates with trusts or a business cost more. It is far cheaper than the probate delays, taxes, and disputes that a missing or outdated plan can trigger.

How often should an estate plan be reviewed?

After any major change: a death, marriage or separation, a new grandchild, a move to another province, or a big change in assets. Otherwise, a review every few years keeps executors, beneficiaries, and wishes current.

Professional Services

Estate Planning Lawyers

Estate planning ensures a senior's wishes are documented and their affairs are in order, wills, powers of attorney, beneficiary designations, and strategies to ease the transfer of assets to family.

We list 135 estate planning lawyers across Canada, averaging 4.8 stars across 20,933 Google reviews. Ranked by our SCP Confidence Score, the strongest right now are Aviron Law Professional Corporation, Tathgar Law and Contrast Law.

Estate Planning for seniors: what to know

Estate planning is simply making sure your wishes are clear and your affairs are easy for your family to manage: a valid will, powers of attorney, named executors and beneficiaries, and a plan that limits taxes, delays, and conflict. It is a gift to the people you love, not a grim chore.

For most families the core documents are a will and powers of attorney for property and personal care, ideally reviewed after any major life change. A lawyer or notary drafts them; a financial planner can help with the tax and beneficiary side. Compare estate professionals below, and see elder law for capacity and care-related matters.

How much does estate planning cost?

A will plus powers of attorney is often a flat fee (commonly a few hundred dollars each, illustrative), with more for trusts or complex estates

What moves the price: Simple will versus trusts and tax planning, the size of the estate, and whether ongoing advice is included. Figures are typical Canadian ranges for general guidance.

What to look for

A wills-and-estates lawyer, ideally one who also handles elder law
A clear, flat-fee document package rather than open-ended hourly billing
Willingness to coordinate with your financial advisor and accountant

Find estate planning lawyers in your city

Pick your city to compare local estate planning lawyers, each with a Confidence Score, Google rating, and recent reviews.

Top-rated estate planning lawyers

4.8 average rating20,933 Google reviewsacross 135 estate planning lawyers

Aviron Law Professional Corporation

159 Rutherford Rd S 2nd Floor, Brampton, ON L6W 3N5, Canada

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78/ 100

Good confidence

5.0(207 reviews)

“We have had several great experiences with Aviron for our real estate purchases. They were super helpful, very professional, and friendly from start to finish....”

Provides: Estate Planning

Helps Ontario clients plan their estates with thoughtful, clear advice and legally sound documents to protect family, assets, and legacy. The firm offers wills, comprehensive... Read more

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Tathgar Law

736 Broughton St Unit 300, Victoria, BC V8W 1E1, Canada

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78/ 100

Good confidence

5.0(173 reviews)

“We had the absolute best experience working with Sunny for our first home purchase. As first-time buyers, he made the entire process feel clear, smooth, and...”

Provides: Estate Planning

The website emphasizes accessibility, responsiveness, and clear communication throughout the legal process, particularly for clients managing complex family or property situations. Read more

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Contrast Law

105 Fort Whyte Way #100, Oak Bluff, MB R4G 0B1, Canada

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78/ 100

Good confidence

5.0(132 reviews)

“I had a great experience speaking with Alex from Contrast Law. He was extremely helpful in explaining the rules, compliance requirements, and best practices...”

Provides: Elder Law, Estate Planning

Alex Bainov focuses on estate planning and estate administration, helping clients understand their options and make informed decisions. The practice is known for professionalism and... Read more

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Pick your city above to see every local provider.

Funding & insurance

Estate planning is private-pay, but a well-drafted will and powers of attorney can save the family far more later by avoiding delays, disputes, and unnecessary tax. Keep documents current after any major change.

Frequently asked questions

What does estate planning include?: At minimum a valid will and powers of attorney for property and personal care, plus named executors and up-to-date beneficiaries on registered accounts and insurance. Fuller plans address taxes, probate, and how to pass on a home or business.
What happens if someone dies without a will in Canada?: The estate is distributed by a provincial formula, not by the person's wishes, which can leave out intended people and create delays and family conflict. A court also appoints the administrator. A simple will avoids all of this.
Do I need a lawyer to make a will?: Not legally, but for anything beyond the simplest estate it is wise. A lawyer or notary makes sure the will is valid, reflects your wishes, and works with your powers of attorney and beneficiary designations to avoid expensive mistakes.
How much does a will and estate plan cost?: A basic will and powers of attorney are commonly a flat fee; more complex estates with trusts or a business cost more. It is far cheaper than the probate delays, taxes, and disputes that a missing or outdated plan can trigger.
How often should an estate plan be reviewed?: After any major change: a death, marriage or separation, a new grandchild, a move to another province, or a big change in assets. Otherwise, a review every few years keeps executors, beneficiaries, and wishes current.

How we rank estate planning lawyers

20,933

Google reviews

Ratings and reviews come straight from Google, from real clients across these 133 estate planning lawyers, never written by us.

100-point

SCP Confidence Score

Our trust rating decides the order in every list, recomputed as listings are verified and updated.

How estate planning lawyers are rated

Google star ratings across 133 estate planning lawyers.

4.5 and up123
4.0 to 4.410
3.5 to 3.90
Under 3.50

Confidence Score range

How the 135 estate planning lawyers fall across our trust tiers.

High0 communities
Good66 communities
Developing65 communities
Limited4 communities

What families are saying

A 4.8 star average across 20,933 Google reviews of 133 estate planning lawyers. Here is a sample, straight from clients and families.

“I want to express my gratitude to Sonali for her support in completing my transaction smoothly. I also thank my lawyer, Kuldeep, for his guidance. Their professionalism was key to ensuring everything went smoothly, and I couldn't have done...”

Priya Royam on Axess Law

“Legal Will was the best experience completeing important leagls documents that I ever had. The website is easy to understand and user friendly. My husband and I complete our documents in decent amount of time and best of all, the price was...”

Lola A on LegalWills

“"I had a wonderful experience working with her. She is professional, knowledgeable, and truly cares about her clients. She explained everything clearly, answered all my questions with patience, and made me feel comfortable throughout the...”

Robita Jeat on Mariana Samaan Law Firm

“We had a really great experience with this law office. Peter helped us with signing a document and made the whole process quick, easy, and stress-free, he even found an error that we didn't know was on it. Everyone was friendly,...”

Christina Haines on Peter B Mason Real Estate Lawyer

“Absolutely wonderful!! Khizer helped us prepare a will under awful circumstances, he understood the urgency and went above and beyond! His caring and kindness was so genuine and calming. The price was more than fair too! I highly recommend...”

Tracey Ewasiuk on Jurix Law

“Andrew helped us with our wills and we are so grateful. We started the process of putting them together while I was pregnant and he was patient every step of the way. It took a couple months because I was so busy with the pregnancy and...”

Annamarie Mah on Andrew F. Cao, KBL Law LLP

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