Wills and Estate Planning Lawyers in Whitby

A will is a legal document that sets out your wishes for how your property, money and personal belongings should be managed and distributed after your death. It can identify your beneficiaries, name an estate trustee and provide instructions concerning trusts or minor children. If you die without a valid will, Ontario law determines who may inherit your estate, how much they may receive and who may apply to the court to manage the estate. Ontario estate-planning guidance

At McMurter & Associates, we begin the estate-planning process by learning about your finances, dependants and any particular concerns you would like to address. For example, we can discuss planning options intended to benefit a loved one with care needs while considering their eligibility for government disability benefits.

McMurter & Associates in Whitby has been providing astute estate planning services throughout the region, including in Oshawa, for more than 30 years. Our wills lawyer can draft a full range of testamentary documents to meet your needs. In this way, you can achieve the peace of mind that your estate is well-planned and your loved ones are provided for.

Just as you wouldn’t want someone else deciding how to manage your life decisions while you are alive, you don’t want someone else making those decisions for you once you pass. With a little bit of planning, and some expert guidance, you can help ensure that your specific wishes regarding your estate are clearly documented.

A will can specify:

• Who will act as the estate trustee responsible for administering your estate
• Who will receive the property and assets remaining in your estate
• How an inheritance should be managed for beneficiaries who are minors
• Whether trusts should be created for beneficiaries with particular needs
• Who will manage a child’s inheritance until it can be distributed

For example, you can choose to place your child’s inheritance in trust until he or she reaches a certain age. Or, you can specify that it is distributed in stages so the child does not receive an influx of money when he or she does not have the maturity to handle it. In addition, a will allows you to name the trustee of that inheritance, who will administer it for the child’s benefit until it is distributed.

A will takes effect after death and does not govern decisions about medical treatment while you are alive. Wishes concerning health care, personal care and end-of-life treatment can be addressed separately through advance care planning and a power of attorney for personal care. As part of the estate-planning process, we can discuss how these documents work together and help you determine which documents are appropriate for your circumstances.

Often, it is advisable to prepare both a will and powers of attorney as part of your estate planning. For this reason, we offer reduced rates for these combined services. Our “No Surprises” legal fees for wills and powers of attorney are as follows:

To receive more information about our fees, please contact our office.

Additional fees may apply in certain circumstances, such as:

• Wills that appoint corporate trustees.
• Additional trust provisions beyond standard age-based distributions for minor beneficiaries.
• Secondary wills.

Please contact our office if any of these circumstances may apply to your estate plan.

To meet with a member of our firm, send us an email or call us at 1-800-756-7138 or 905-666-9200 to schedule a consultation.