Offices in Ottawa and Perth
(613) 722-1500

CONTACT US (613) 722-1500

Wills, Trusts and Estates

Our Approach

It is important for adults of any age to have their affairs in order, and we encourage you to revisit your estate plan every few years, particularly when there has been a significant life change, such as the birth of a child, marriage or divorce or a change in the value of your estate and nature of your assets. This allows you the opportunity to adjust your estate plan as your life and needs change. Having your will and estate plan prepared and organized in advance is vital should the unexpected occur. Reaching out to an experienced legal professional for advice can help you make more sense of the process and produce options you may not even have considered.

Of course, nobody likes to talk about death. At Mann Lawyers, we know that this can be a sensitive subject to discuss. The process of preparing a will and estate plan can, for some, lead to worries about one’s mortality. Our approach is to help you be proactive, plan for the future and alleviate stress. Gain peace of mind by knowing that you are prepared and that you can make changes to your established will and estate plan later on if needed or desired.

If you have concerns about an estate or a will following the death of a loved one, a lawyer from our estate litigation team will help you determine if a claim should be made and advise you throughout the litigation process.

Estate Administration And Planning
Estate Litigation
Guardianship Applications
Living Wills
Powers Of Attorney
Preparing Wills And Estate Planning
Probate Applications
Trusts

Connect with our Team

Offices in Ottawa and Perth     (613) 722-1500

Wills, Trusts and Estates Resources

Blog |
Wills, Trusts and Estates
By: 
Over time, individuals could acquire assets in different jurisdictions that are governed by different legal systems. Similar to the consideration of double wills in distinguishing[...]
Blog |
Wills, Trusts and Estates
By: 

Posted November 28, 2023

As a lawyer who has worked in the field of Wills and Estates for the last three years, I get the following question quite a[...]
Blog |
Wills, Trusts and Estates
By: 

Posted November 7, 2023

What is a Power of Attorney document? A Power of Attorney is a legal document that authorizes someone else, known as your “attorney” to act[...]
Blog |
Wills, Trusts and Estates
By: 
Do I need a Will? A short answer is most likely. If you possess assets of value, such as chequing or savings accounts, investments, a[...]
Blog |
Wills, Trusts and Estates
By: 

Posted May 30, 2023

Lawyers are often asked “when should I renew my Will?”, or “how long does my Will last for?”. While the answer may seem simple, it[...]
Blog |
Estate Litigation, Wills, Trusts and Estates
By: 

Posted February 7, 2023

Testamentary freedom allows testators to “rule from the grave” by controlling the disposition of their assets upon death. As an exercise of this freedom, testators[...]

Upcoming Events

Professional Event

Webinar: What is a Digital Executor?

Date: 

May 8, 2024

Time: 

6:00 pm

- 7:00 pm

Frequently Asked Questions

When hearing the words Estate planning, most of us think of a Will and Powers of Attorney. We also tend to think of this as a task for those individuals in their mid to late years of life, who have a vast array of assets. However, Estate planning is not reserved for just those individuals as nearly everyone has an Estate. Your Estate is comprised of everything you own— your car, home, other real estate, chequing and savings accounts, investments, life insurance, household and personal possessions.

Good Estate planning is much more than just a Will and Powers of Attorney. It is about making a plan in advance for your assets to ensure your wishes are carried out and so your estate will hopefully pay the least amount paid in taxes, legal fees, and court costs when the time comes. Estate planning allows you to control the what, the how and the when, your assets will be distributed to the people and/or organizations you choose.

Estate planning is not a task that should be left for later in life. The best time to plan your Estate is now. As unpleasant as it is to think about our own mortality or incapacity, being caught off-guard and unprepared when incapacity or death does strike can be much worse. Estate planning gives you and your family peace of mind by knowing you have a properly prepared plan in place. This is one of the most thoughtful and considerate things you can do for yourself and for those you love.

While there is a cost to having a lawyer prepare a Will, and that you may think you have a ‘simple’ estate, there are many steps along the way that can ultimately cost your estate much more in litigation down the road.

Will drafting is more than a simple fill-in-the-blank exercise. It is a complex undertaking that includes understanding a testator’s family situation, debts, assets, the interplay of a number of different pieces of legislation – the Succession Law Reform Act, Family Law Act, Estates Act, Trustee Act, Insurance Act, and Income Tax Act, to name a few, along with cases that have previously established how certain terms in a Will are to be interpreted, to fully understand how their wishes can be fulfilled after they die.

There are two main types of Powers of Attorney – a Power of Attorney for Property and a Power of Attorney for Personal Care. In both cases, the grantor (the person making the power of attorney) appoints an attorney (a person that is most often a spouse, family member or close friend) to make decisions on behalf of the grantor. There are many varieties of each type of Power of Attorney that differ in terms of the decisions an attorney is authorized to make and when the attorney is indeed authorized to make decisions on behalf of the grantor.

Did you just recently buy a house? Have you just recently had or adopted any children? Better yet, are you alive and over the age of 18? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s a really good idea to prepare Powers of Attorney.

A fair question and one that has been asked by friends and clients alike. The issue is if you do not have Powers of Attorney in place and something happens to you (for instance an accident or sudden illness) and you lose your capacity to manage your own affairs, Powers of Attorney are no longer an option as they can only be created while you have the mental capacity to create them. Instead, a person close to you will have to obtain a guardianship order from a judge to be able to begin making decisions on your behalf. This involves a lengthy application process that requires extensive legal work and is significantly more expensive than preparing Powers of Attorney. Not to mention, you no longer have the final say for who becomes responsible for managing your property and your personal care.

If you die without a Will (dying intestate), the administration of your Estate and distribution of your assets will be governed by the SLRA and left to the court system to determine. Your Estate may ultimately be distributed to people you may otherwise not have chosen to benefit from your Estate.

Everyone. Now.

It is a misconception that people who don’t have a lot of money or kids don’t need a Will. To the contrary, everyone’s Estate will require some degree of administration. Regardless of the size of your Estate, some planning now can save a lot of time, money and grief for your family later.

It is never too early to prepare a Will. A Will is a living document which means that as long as you have the mental capacity, you are able to change your Will at any time, and as often as you would like. Waiting until ‘later’ or when you are ‘older’ increases the chances that you may not get the chance to express your wishes about your Estate.

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