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From testamentary trusts to multiple wills strategies, our estate planning lawyers craft wills that protect your wealth and your family across every scenario.
Book My 15-Minute Assessment →Our estate planning lawyers draft wills that go beyond the basics, addressing corporate holdings, blended families, cross-border assets, and sophisticated tax planning under the SLRA and Trustee Act.
In Ontario, a "simple will" and a "last will and testament" are legally the same document. However, when we refer to a comprehensive last will and testament, we mean a will that includes advanced provisions such as testamentary trusts, multiple wills strategies, corporate holdings clauses, and detailed contingency planning.
Tell us briefly what is going on. A lawyer reviews every enquiry and replies within 24 hours on business days.
A lawyer replies within 24 hours on business days. Urgent? Call +1 416 333 6200, answered 24/7. Submitting this form does not create a solicitor-client relationship.
A comprehensive last will and testament goes well beyond naming beneficiaries and appointing an executor. If you own shares in a private corporation, hold real estate in multiple provinces or countries, have children from a previous relationship, or have a high-net-worth estate, a simple will may leave significant gaps. At Lexaltico LLP, our estate planning lawyers draft wills that address the full complexity of your financial and family situation, ensuring every asset is accounted for and every contingency is planned for.
One of the most powerful tools available to Ontario residents is the multiple wills strategy. Under the Estates Act, only assets that require a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee (probate) are subject to the Estate Administration Tax of approximately 1.5% on estate value above $50,000. By creating a primary will that covers assets requiring probate and a secondary will that covers assets such as private company shares, personal property, and certain debts, your estate can avoid paying unnecessary probate fees on assets that do not need court validation.
Our comprehensive will drafting service is tailored to your specific needs and typically starts from $995 for individuals. We also offer our popular Will + 2 POAs package from $995 for clients who want a complete estate planning foundation. Every will is drafted by a lawyer called to the Ontario bar and reviewed for compliance with the Succession Law Reform Act, the Trustee Act, and applicable tax legislation. Most wills are completed within 5-7 business days. Book your consultation today at our 55 University Avenue, Toronto office.
A testamentary trust is a trust created within your will that comes into effect upon your death. These trusts are valuable planning tools because, unlike most inter vivos (living) trusts, a testamentary trust that qualifies as a Graduated Rate Estate can benefit from graduated income tax rates for up to 36 months after death. This can result in significant tax savings, particularly for estates with substantial investment income or where beneficiaries are in high tax brackets.
Testamentary trusts are also essential for protecting vulnerable beneficiaries. If you have a child or family member with a disability, a Henson trust (absolute discretionary trust) can hold their inheritance without disqualifying them from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or other means-tested benefits. For minor children, a testamentary trust ensures their inheritance is managed by a responsible trustee until they reach a specified age, preventing a young adult from receiving a large sum before they are ready to manage it.
Our lawyers also incorporate spousal trusts, life interest trusts for blended families, charitable giving provisions, and digital asset management clauses into comprehensive wills. We work closely with your accountant or financial advisor to ensure your will integrates with your broader tax and financial plan. Whether you need a single comprehensive will or a multiple wills strategy, Lexaltico LLP delivers the sophisticated planning that complex estates require, without unnecessary complexity or cost.
Blended families present unique estate planning challenges. Without careful drafting, a surviving spouse could inadvertently disinherit children from a prior relationship, or a new spouse could challenge the estate. Our lawyers use life interest trusts, specific bequests, and carefully drafted residue clauses to balance the interests of a surviving spouse with those of children from prior relationships. We also address common-law spousal rights, which differ significantly from married spousal rights under Ontario law.
Business owners face additional complexity. Private company shares, shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, and corporate succession plans must all be coordinated with your personal estate plan. A comprehensive will ensures that the transfer of your business interests is structured to minimize tax, respect the terms of any shareholder agreement, and provide for a smooth transition of management. Where appropriate, we use the multiple wills strategy to keep private company shares out of probate entirely.
Cross-border estates require coordination between jurisdictions. If you own property in another province or country, you may need ancillary wills or specific provisions in your Ontario will to ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes without conflicting with the laws of the other jurisdiction. Lexaltico LLP has experience drafting wills for clients with assets in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other common-law jurisdictions. Get started today by contacting our estate planning team to discuss your comprehensive will.
Use our Ontario Probate Fee Calculator for an instant estimate based on Ontario law. Takes under a minute, and you can have a detailed breakdown emailed to you.
Where the estate includes a private company, a will dividing everything equally can hand control to someone with no interest in running it. Business succession on death explains how control and value are separated.
Our lawyers offer a 15-minute initial assessment for most matters. Call, email, or book online. Do not sign anything before speaking with us.
55 University Ave, Suite 1100
Toronto, ON M5J 2H7
2 Sheppard Ave East, Suite 303, Toronto, ON M2N 5Y7
Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Evenings & weekends by appointment
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Lexaltico LLP
How Lexaltico LLP handles personal information, under PIPEDA and Ontario law.
When you use a form on this site, email us or telephone us, we collect what you choose to send: your name, email address, telephone number and a description of the situation. Nothing on this site requires you to give more than that.
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This site publishes several hundred pages about Ontario law. They are written carefully, they cite statutes and cases by name, and they are reviewed. None of that makes them advice about your matter. Law is applied to facts, and we do not know yours.
The difference is practical rather than technical. A page explaining that spousal support is usually indefinite after a twenty year marriage is accurate as a general statement and may be wrong about you, because of a domestic contract you signed, a period of separation you have forgotten, or an income that is not what a tax return says it is.
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It can also create a problem for you. If you send us detailed information about a dispute and we are later approached by the other side, what you sent may affect whether we can act for either of you.
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Case results described anywhere on this site are real and are described accurately, and they are specific to their own facts. A settlement at three times the original offer happened because of that employer, that contract and that person’s history. It says nothing about what your matter is worth.
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Calculators on this site produce estimates from the figures you enter. They apply published formulas and they cannot know about the facts that most often change the answer.
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These pages describe the law of Ontario, and of Alberta only where a page says so expressly. They do not describe the law of any other province, territory or country. Law that looks similar across jurisdictions frequently is not.
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Lexaltico LLP is regulated by the Law Society of Ontario under the Law Society Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.8. All lawyers practising in Ontario through the firm are members in good standing.
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Immigration consulting is provided by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants in good standing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants under the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Act, S.C. 2019, c. 29, s. 292.
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