Wills and powers of attorney, probate, estate administration and estate disputes. Probate fees and the rules for dying without a will are different in every province.
The rules depend on your province, so the points below are set out province by province.
Lawyers whose own published profile focuses on wills and estates work. Each lawyer was checked on their provincial law society's public directory before being listed — check again before you hire, as people move firms.
Jacy J. Wingson, KC · Partner, Estates · Surrey
13450 102 Avenue, Suite 1500, Surrey, BC V3T 5X3
Partner whose practice is estate planning and administration, and estates and trust litigation, including contested estates and property disputes. The firm also covers family law, residential real estate and personal injury.
Richard Weiland · Partner, Estates & Trusts Co-Chair · Vancouver
885 West Georgia Street, Suite 900, Vancouver, BC V6C 3H1
Co-chairs the firm's Estates and Trusts group and chairs its tax group. He advises private business owners, trustees and charities on tax, estate and business succession planning and trust administration. The firm also has a family law group.
Craig Ross · Partner, Head of Wills, Estates & Trusts · Mississauga
77 City Centre Drive, West Tower, Suite 300, Mississauga, ON L5B 1M5
Heads the firm's Wills, Estates and Trusts group. His work covers estate planning, estate administration and estate litigation, guardianship and capacity matters, powers of attorney, family business succession and trusts for beneficiaries with disabilities. The firm also has an employment and labour practice.
Amanda S.A. Doucette, TEP · Partner · Saskatoon
123 2nd Avenue South, Suite 500, Saskatoon, SK S7K 7E6
Partner practising tax, trust and estate law, including wills and estate planning and cross-border planning. The firm also covers family law, employment law for employees and employers, home purchases and sales, and personal injury and medical malpractice claims.
Jorden P. Gregory · Partner · Kitchener-Waterloo
101 Randall Drive, Unit A, Waterloo, ON N2V 1C5
Partner whose practice areas are wills, trusts and estates, real estate law and corporate and commercial work. He began his career at the firm in 2016 and returned after working as in-house counsel and at another Waterloo firm. The firm also covers family law, employment law and personal injury.
In Ontario probate is called a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee. You apply to the Superior Court of Justice at the court for the county or district where the person lived when they died.
Estate Administration Tax is $15 for every $1,000 (or part of $1,000) of the estate's value above $50,000. Nothing is charged on the first $50,000, so an estate worth $50,000 or less pays no tax. Legal fees are separate.
Ontario's Succession Law Reform Act sets out how the estate is shared. In general the people who can inherit are the married spouse and the closest next of kin; the Act and its regulation set the spouse's share and how the rest is divided with any children. A common-law spouse does not inherit under the Act, though they may have other claims. A lawyer can tell you who inherits in your situation.
Yes. If the estate is worth up to $150,000 you can apply for a Small Estate Certificate, which uses simpler forms than a full Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee.
To practise law in Ontario a lawyer must be licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, which also licenses paralegals. You can look up anyone in the Law Society's public Lawyer and Paralegal Directory, which shows their status and any discipline history. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in that directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
You can apply for a grant of probate — or, if there is no will, a grant of administration — in any BC Supreme Court registry.
Probate fees depend on the value of the estate and are set by BC's Probate Fee Act. Ask the Supreme Court registry or a lawyer for the fee on your estate. Legal fees are separate.
The Wills, Estates and Succession Act decides who inherits. If there is a spouse and no descendants, the spouse inherits the whole estate. If there are descendants, the spouse receives $300,000 — or $150,000 if not all the children are also the spouse's children — plus half of the rest, and the descendants share the other half. Someone must apply for a grant of administration to deal with the estate.
To practise law in British Columbia a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of British Columbia. You can look up any lawyer in the Law Society's public Lawyer Directory, which shows their practising status and any discipline history. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in that directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Applications for a grant of probate — or, if there is no will, a grant of administration — go to the Court of King's Bench.
The court fee depends on the net value of the property in Alberta: $35 for $10,000 or less, $135 up to $25,000, $275 up to $125,000, $400 up to $250,000 and $525 above $250,000. Legal fees are separate.
The Wills and Succession Act sets out how and to whom the property is transferred. What a spouse or adult interdependent partner receives depends on whether the person who died had children from another relationship. Someone must apply for a grant of administration to deal with the estate. See the Act or ask a lawyer for the shares that apply.
To practise law in Alberta a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of Alberta. You can look up any lawyer in the Law Society's public Lawyer Directory, which shows whether they are currently practising and any discipline history back to 1 January 2015. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in that directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Wills and estates are handled by the Court of King's Bench. The application forms are filed with the court together with the fees.
The probate fee is $7 on every $1,000 of value passing through the estate, plus a $200 filing fee. On an estate of $300,000 the probate fee is $2,100. Legal fees are separate.
The Intestate Succession Act, 2019 decides who inherits. If there is a spouse and all the children are also the spouse's children, the spouse inherits the whole estate. If the person who died had a child who is not the spouse's, the spouse receives the first $200,000 and then half of the rest if there is one child, or one third if there is more than one; the children share what is left. Someone must apply to the court to administer the estate.
To practise law in Saskatchewan a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan. You can look up any lawyer in the Law Society's public directory, which shows where they practise and has a discipline column; the Law Society also publishes its discipline decisions. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in that directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Concerns about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Probate is granted by the Court of King's Bench. Its Probate Division in Winnipeg is the central registry for all probate matters in the province.
Manitoba eliminated its probate charges on 6 November 2020, so there is no longer a charge based on the value of the estate. Other court fees and legal fees still apply.
The Intestate Succession Act decides who inherits. If there is a spouse or common-law partner and no children — or all the children are also that partner's children — the partner inherits the whole estate. If the person who died had a child from another relationship, the partner receives $50,000 or half of the estate, whichever is greater, plus half of what is left; the children share the rest. For inheritance, a common-law partner is one who registered the relationship, or lived with the person for at least three years, or for at least one year if they have a child together.
To practise law in Manitoba a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of Manitoba. You can look up any lawyer in the Law Society's public Lawyer Lookup, which shows their practising status and, under their practice history, any discipline history or restriction. Each lawyer on these pages was checked there before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Applications go to the Probate Court of Nova Scotia, which appoints executors and administrators.
Probate tax is $85.60 for an estate up to $10,000, $215.20 up to $25,000, $358.15 up to $50,000 and $1,002.65 up to $100,000; above that it is $1,002.65 plus $16.95 for every $1,000 (or part of $1,000) over $100,000. On a $300,000 estate that is $4,392.65. Legal fees are separate.
The Intestate Succession Act decides who inherits. If there is a spouse and no children, the spouse inherits the whole estate. If there are children, the spouse receives the first $50,000 and then half of the rest if there is one child, or one third if there is more than one; the children share what is left. The spouse can choose to take the home as part of that share.
To practise law in Nova Scotia a lawyer must be a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society. You can look up any lawyer in the Society's public lawyer search to check their status and to see whether they have been formally disciplined. Each lawyer on these pages was checked there before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Society.
Applications go to the Probate Court of New Brunswick, which grants letters probate and supervises the administration of estates.
Probate tax rates went up for applications filed on or after 12 June 2026. The tax is $200 where the estate is worth $20,000 or less; $200 plus $5 for every $1,000 over $20,000 for estates up to $100,000; and $600 plus $15 for every $1,000 over $100,000 above that. On a $300,000 estate that is $3,600. Legal fees are separate.
The Devolution of Estates Act decides who inherits. If there is a surviving spouse and no children, the spouse inherits the whole estate. If there are children, the spouse receives the couple's marital property and then half of the rest if there is one child, or one third if there is more than one; the children share what is left.
To practise law in New Brunswick a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of New Brunswick. You can look up any practising lawyer in the Law Society's public Lawyer Search, and it publishes a list of complaints referred to its Discipline Committee. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in the Lawyer Search before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Applications go to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, which appoints and supervises executors and administrators.
The court fee for letters of probate or administration is $60 for an estate up to $1,000, plus $0.60 for each additional $100 — about $1,254 on a $200,000 estate. Legal fees are separate.
The Intestate Succession Act decides who inherits. If there is a spouse and no children, the spouse inherits the whole estate. If there is a spouse and one child, the spouse receives half; if there is more than one child, the spouse receives one third. The children share the rest.
To practise law in Newfoundland and Labrador a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. Its online Lawyer Directory lists the lawyers practising in the province with their contact details, and the Law Society publishes its disciplinary decisions. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in the directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society, in writing.
Applications go to the Estates Section of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island.
Probate fees are set by a schedule to the Probate Act and depend on the value of the estate. Ask the Supreme Court's Estates Section or a lawyer for the fee on your estate. Legal fees are separate.
The Probate Act decides who inherits. If there is a spouse and no children, the spouse inherits the whole estate. If there is a spouse and one child, the spouse receives half; if there is more than one child, the spouse receives one third. The children share the rest.
To practise law in Prince Edward Island a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of Prince Edward Island. You can look up practising lawyers in the Law Society's online lawyer directory to verify their status, and it publishes discipline case summaries. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in the directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society, in writing.