Estate Planning in Ontario
Wills and Estate Planning in Ontario
Why Everyone in Ontario Should Have a Will
- Pay Less Estate Taxes to the Government
- Choose Guardians for Your Children
- Control Funeral and Burial Arrangements
Hundreds of Happy Clients Served in the GTA
Protect Your Family
A lot of my clients have told me that they think wills are only for wealthy people with large estates, not for average Canadians like them. I’m going to put that myth to bed by explaining what happens when you die without a will in Ontario.
If you die without a will, how your estate is administered is governed by rules put in place by the Ontario government. In other words, if you die without a will, an arbitrary government formula will determine who gets your assets. Not you.
For example, if you have a common-law spouse when you die, that spouse does not automatically inherit your estate or even a portion of it. Imagine that. You could have lived with the love of your life for the last 10 years and, just because you’re not legally married, that person could end up with nothing!
In a worst-case scenario, if you die without any living relatives, your estate will go to the government. I don’t know about you, but I’ve worked very hard to put my financial affairs in order and the idea of the government deciding what happens to my estate (or potentially receiving my estate) makes my jaw clench.
Without a will, you will have no say in who raises your children. I’m a proud father of a three-year-old and I rest easy at night knowing that if tragedy should strike and my wife and I both pass at the same time, our will makes it clear who we want to look after our daughter.
Without a will, your personal items won’t get distributed as you would have liked. Maybe you possess a painting of your late grandma’s that you know means a lot to your brother. Well, when your estate is divvied up, your brother may or may not end up getting that painting, despite it being special to him. This sort of thing can lead to family fights and can turn ugly. Fast.
Without a will, you also can’t save on probate fees charged by the government, meaning the family you leave behind won’t get as much money from your estate as they would otherwise. Depending on the size of your estate, your family could get tens of thousands of dollars less than they could have with proper planning, plus it will take a lot longer for them to get it.
Finally, without a will, you have no control over your funeral and burial arrangements.
In short, wills aren’t just for wealthy people. They’re for anybody who wants to maintain control of their affairs, make their passing easier on their family, protect their kids, and keep the government’s hands off their money.
If you need help with your estate planning, congratulations, you’ve made it to the right place. We are experienced estate planning lawyers and are here to help. We have helped hundreds of people across Ontario just like you.
In fact, in 2020, Powell Litigation was voted the Best Law Firm in the Toronto Star Readers’ Choice Awards.
We also have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and over 100 Five-Star Reviews on Google.
We understand that estate planning isn’t exactly “fun” to think about and often gets put off repeatedly. As an incentive to get the ball rolling and have people take action, for the month of September 2022 we are waiving our consultation fee and are offering free estate planning consultations. Call us today at (437) 222-2234.
Meet Your Estate Planning Lawyer:
- Weston Powell
- Bryan Whealen
- Siddharth Joshi
- Eric Blau
What Our Clients Say:
“I will recommand Powell Litigation to anyone who needs legal advice on anything! I was a little nervous before my Zoom meeting with the lawyer, but during the meeting, I got reassured and calmed down by him, and given great advice on how to handle my case.
Thank you Powell Litigation!”
– Mathiu Dumas
“I really appreciate that Mr. Powell explained the legal procedure very clearly to me. This helped resolve my uncertainties and misunderstandings. Clear and prompt communication was so important to those, like myself, who had to deal with legal procedure for the first time.”
– Qin Liu
“We had the opportunity with Mr Powell and really appreciate the time he took to explain the process, our legal stand and several options on how to move forward. We really appreciated the detail and in depth review of our situation. I would recommend to anyone looking for legal advise or acquire legal services. The process of making an appointment was easy and fast with Rachel and Avery. Thank you Mr. Powell to you and your team.”
– Edison Cagpata