Wills and Estate Planning

Additional information can be found at my site devoted to lawyer-drafted wills and estate planning services for Calgary residents.

Rates

Starting at:

$350 plus GST for one person (lawyer rate for one will package for up to 2 hours)
$600 plus GST for a couple (lawyer rate for two wills for a married or common law couple, for up to 3 hours)
$600 plus GST (per trip) to attend at a hospital or personal residence in Calgary for a will (for up to 2 hours)
$200 plus GST (additional charge) to cancel and reschedule a lawyer's appointment for an individual will or a couple's wills
$100 plus GST for a minor change to a will previously drafted by me (for up to 30 minutes)

Please note that, at my discretion, I may require a deposit of up to $200 to be paid to schedule an appointment. I will typically require a deposit if a client has already cancelled an appointment for a will. Since it is a financial loss to me when clients cancel appointments for wills, leaving me without the ability to fill the time slot with another client, it is now my policy to charge $200 for each appointment cancellation for an individual will or a couple's wills.

These rates include the drafting of the will (or wills), power(s) of attorney, and personal directive(s), and indicate starting rates for these will-drafting services. Additional charges of $250 plus GST per hour will apply to clients who require more time than is projected in the above estimates. In my experience, the above estimates accurately reflect the time it takes to complete wills (and related documents) for individuals and couples.

While these rates are more than you might pay to purchase a do-it-yourself wills kit, there are many

advantages to using a lawyer to help you write a will.

Important Information Required to Prepare a Will

Please let me know if any of the following situations apply to you before I prepare your will:

You have a second family or children from a previous relationship.

You have minor children or other dependants.

You own property jointly with another person.

You have listed beneficiaries in an investment or life insurance policy.

You hold property in the name of a corporation.

You have a farm.

There is anything else you think may be significant.

Witnesses for Wills

You must have two witnesses. If your will is signed at my office, I will act as one of the witnesses and someone else in my office will act as a second witness.
Witnesses must be adults (over the age of 18 in Alberta), and be of sound mind.
Witnesses must not be beneficiaries under the will. A witness must not be a spouse (or boyfriend or girlfriend) of a beneficiary, and should not be closely related to a beneficiary, such as a parent, child, or sibling of a beneficiary. This is very important. A will that does not comply with this legal requirement is a will that is legally useless.
Both witnesses must be present at the time the will is being signed. It is also necessary for both witnesses to sign at the time the will is being signed.
If a witness does not know you personally, the witness should verify your identity by looking at picture identification, such as a driver's licence.
You and your two witnesses should also place your initials in the bottom right corner of each page of the will, except for the last page containing the signatures.