Home / Practice Areas / Wills, Estates & Powers of Attorney
WILLS, ESTATES & POWERS OF ATTORNEY
Wills, Estates &
Powers of Attorney
Plan with clarity. Protect the people and decisions that matter.
A wills and estates lawyer in Toronto can help turn important personal, family and business decisions into a clear legal plan. Trusz Law assists clients with wills, powers of attorney, estate planning and trust planning across Ontario.
The goal is not to make planning feel complicated. It is to understand what matters to you, identify the decisions that need to be made and prepare documents that reflect your circumstances.
Good planning is not about expecting the worst.
It is about making important decisions before someone else has to.
A clear plan can make difficult moments easier.
Estate planning is not only about what happens after death. It can also address who may make certain decisions if you become unable to make them yourself.
Planning built around your life, family and priorities
A thoughtful estate plan begins with questions: Who should receive your property? Who should carry out your wishes? Who should make financial or personal-care decisions if you are unable to do so? How should family, business and trust considerations fit together?
In Ontario, wills and powers of attorney serve different purposes. A will addresses decisions connected to your estate after death, while powers of attorney can authorize trusted people to make property or personal-care decisions in defined circumstances.
Trusz Law helps clients work through these decisions clearly and prepare a plan that reflects their current circumstances.
ESTATE PLANNING QUESTIONS
What can your estate plan help you decide?
The right documents depend on the decisions you need to make and the circumstances surrounding them.
01
Who should receive your property?
Consider the people, organizations or causes you want to benefit, as well as the timing and structure of gifts.
02
Who should act on your behalf?
Choose trusted people for roles such as estate trustee or attorney, taking into account responsibility, availability and family dynamics.
03
What should happen if you cannot decide for yourself?
Powers of attorney can address who may make certain property or personal-care decisions in circumstances covered by the document and Ontario law.
04
How do family and business interests fit together?
For business owners and families with more complex assets, planning may need to consider ownership, succession, trusts and coordination with other professional advice.
WILLS & ESTATE PLANNING SERVICES
How we can help
This page is the main wills and estates hub for Trusz Law. Each service below links to a focused page with more detail about the planning issue and the questions that commonly arise.
01
Will Drafting
Prepare a will that reflects your wishes, appoints the people responsible for carrying them out and addresses the property and beneficiaries relevant to your circumstances.
02
Power of Attorney for Property & Personal Care
Plan for who may make certain financial or personal-care decisions if you are unable to make those decisions yourself.
03
Estate Planning for Families & Business Owners
Bring personal, family, asset and business considerations together in a coordinated estate-planning discussion.
04
Trust Planning
Consider whether trust planning may be relevant to your goals, family circumstances, beneficiaries, assets or broader estate plan.
A SIMPLE PLANNING PROCESS
From conversation to a clear plan
The process should help you understand the decisions being made, not leave you with documents you do not understand.
01
Understand your priorities
We begin with the people, assets, responsibilities and concerns that matter most to you.
02
Review the bigger picture
We consider family circumstances, property, existing documents and, where relevant, business or trust considerations.
03
Prepare and review the documents
Your documents are prepared around the decisions discussed, then reviewed so you understand what they are intended to do.
04
Sign, store and revisit
After execution, keep your documents in an appropriate place and review the plan when major life or financial circumstances change.
KEEPING YOUR PLAN CURRENT
When should you review your estate plan?
A plan may need attention when your relationships, responsibilities, assets or priorities change.
Marriage, separation or a major relationship change
Your family structure and planning priorities may change.
Birth or adoption of a child or grandchild
New beneficiaries and caregiving considerations may need to be addressed.
Buying, selling or growing a business
Ownership and succession issues can affect the broader plan.
A major change in assets or property
Significant financial changes may make an older plan less suitable.
A change in the people you have appointed
Relationships, availability and capacity can change over time.
An older plan you have not reviewed recently
Documents should be revisited when they no longer reflect current circumstances.
WILLS & ESTATES IN TORONTO
Personal planning deserves a personal conversation.
Estate planning often touches family relationships, responsibility, privacy, business interests and difficult future possibilities. A useful legal conversation should make room for those realities.
Trusz Law provides a boutique, client-focused experience built around direct communication and practical guidance. The aim is to help you understand the role of each document, the decisions still to be made and the next step in completing the plan.
This page is a starting point. The linked service pages provide more focused information, while a consultation allows the discussion to turn to your specific circumstances.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Wills and estate planning FAQs
General information about common planning questions. Your own circumstances may change the legal analysis.
When should I make or update a will?
It is worth considering a will when you have property, dependants, family responsibilities, business interests or preferences about who should administer and receive your estate. An existing will should be reviewed when major life or financial circumstances change.
What happens if someone dies without a will in Ontario?
Ontario law contains intestacy rules that may determine how an estate is distributed when there is no valid will. The result may not reflect the person’s preferences or family expectations.
What is the difference between a power of attorney for property and one for personal care?
A continuing power of attorney for property relates to financial and property matters. A power of attorney for personal care can address decisions involving areas such as health care, nutrition, shelter, clothing, hygiene and safety, subject to the document and applicable law.
Do business owners need estate planning?
Business ownership can create additional planning questions involving shares, control, succession, agreements, beneficiaries and coordination with accounting, tax and other professional advice.
How often should I review my estate plan?
There is no single schedule that fits everyone. A review is especially important after major changes involving relationships, children, assets, business ownership, appointed decision-makers or long periods of time.
What can a will address?
A will can set out directions for the distribution of estate property, appoint an estate trustee and address other planning matters that are appropriate to the person’s circumstances and permitted by law.
What is a power of attorney?
A power of attorney is a legal document that can give a trusted person authority to make certain decisions on your behalf. In Ontario, property and personal-care decision-making are addressed through different forms of power of attorney.
Who should I choose as my estate trustee or attorney?
Consider trust, judgment, availability, willingness to act, family dynamics and the practical responsibilities involved. The right choice depends on the role and your circumstances.
Can I change my will or powers of attorney later?
Planning documents can often be changed while the person has the legal capacity to do so and the required legal formalities are followed. Legal advice can help determine the appropriate way to update an existing plan.
What should I bring to an estate-planning consultation?
Bring any existing wills or powers of attorney, a general picture of important assets and business interests, names of key family members or beneficiaries, and questions about the people you may want to appoint.
Helpful Ontario resources
For general public information about wills, powers of attorney and estate administration in Ontario:
Let’s make the important decisions clearer.
Whether you are preparing your first will, updating an older plan or thinking through family and business considerations, start with the questions that matter most to you.
General website information is not legal advice. A lawyer-client relationship is not created by visiting this page or submitting a general inquiry.
