Wills & Estates Lawyer in Toronto

Toronto's high property values, diverse population, and complex family structures make estate planning both critically important and uniquely challenging. Whether you own a downtown condo, a house in the Beaches, or investment properties across the GTA, a properly drafted will ensures your assets go where you intend. For Toronto's large immigrant communities, estates may involve assets in multiple countries and complex cross-border considerations. At UL Lawyers, we help Toronto residents protect their families through comprehensive estate planning and guide executors through the probate process.

Our wills and estates lawyers serve clients across Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, East York, and the greater GTA. We handle everything from drafting simple wills and powers of attorney to managing complex estates involving multiple properties, business interests, and international assets. Our Burlington office is approximately 45 to 60 minutes from downtown Toronto. Call us today at 905-744-8888 for a consultation about your estate planning needs.

Estate Planning Services for Toronto Residents

Toronto's real estate market means that even modest estates can be worth well over a million dollars. Combined with the city's diverse population—with family connections spanning the globe—estate planning in Toronto requires careful attention to asset protection, tax minimization, and ensuring your wishes are clearly documented and legally enforceable.

Our wills and estates lawyers provide the following services for Toronto residents:

• Will drafting and updates — Comprehensive wills that address your specific assets, family situation, and wishes, including provisions for Toronto real estate, investments, and personal property
• Powers of attorney — Both Property and Personal Care POAs to ensure someone you trust can act on your behalf if you become incapable
• Estate administration and probate — Guiding executors through the probate process at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto
• Estate administration tax planning — Strategies to minimize Ontario's probate fees, which can be significant for high-value Toronto estates
• Multiple wills strategies — Using primary and secondary wills to reduce probate fees on assets like private company shares
• Estate litigation and will contests — Representing families in disputes over wills, estate administration, and dependant support claims

Estate Planning for Toronto's High-Value Real Estate

Toronto's real estate market presents unique estate planning challenges. A family home in neighbourhoods like Rosedale, Forest Hill, the Annex, or even in the suburbs of North York and Scarborough can represent a major portion of the estate's value. Proper planning ensures that your home passes to your intended beneficiaries efficiently and with minimal tax consequences.

We help Toronto homeowners with strategies including joint ownership with right of survivorship, the use of trusts for estate planning purposes, and the multiple wills approach to reduce estate administration tax on non-probatable assets. For Toronto residents who own multiple properties—including investment condos, which are common in the city's real estate market—coordinating the distribution of these assets requires careful drafting.

Cross-Border and International Estate Planning

Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, and many residents have family members, property, or financial assets in other countries. International estate planning adds layers of complexity, including questions about which country's laws apply to specific assets, foreign tax implications, and whether a Canadian will is recognized in another jurisdiction.

Our lawyers help Toronto residents with international estate planning considerations, including drafting wills that work alongside foreign estate documents, understanding Canadian tax obligations on foreign property at death, and ensuring that your estate plan addresses assets in multiple jurisdictions. Whether you have property in India, the Caribbean, the Middle East, or elsewhere, proper planning is essential.

How Our Wills & Estates Lawyers Help Toronto Clients

When you contact UL Lawyers about estate planning in Toronto, here's what to expect:

Initial Consultation

We discuss your assets, family situation, and wishes. Whether you're a young professional buying your first condo in Toronto or a retiree with a complex portfolio of investments and properties, we tailor our advice to your specific needs. We identify potential issues like estate administration tax exposure and incapacity planning gaps.

Document Preparation

We draft your will, powers of attorney, and any other estate planning documents with precision and attention to Ontario's legal requirements. We ensure your documents are properly executed with the necessary witnesses and formalities.

Probate and Estate Administration

If you've been named executor of a Toronto estate, we guide you through your duties and the probate process at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. We handle the paperwork, tax filings, creditor notices, and beneficiary distributions so you can fulfill your obligations with confidence.

Last Updated: March 2026 | This page is reviewed quarterly to reflect current Ontario law.