Originally published: October 6, 2016 | Last updated: February 19, 2025
An estate planning lawyer serves as the best option for Canadians who manage complicated business operations and maintain foreign properties and face non-standard family dynamics. The majority of people can obtain the same legal results from online Will services which cost less and require shorter processing durations than traditional methods. You need to ask specific questions when you think about hiring a lawyer so you can determine if their services match the price you have to pay. LegalWills.ca helps you answer these vital questions by presenting their platform evaluation for every single inquiry.
For some Canadians, those with complex business interests, international assets, or unusual family situations, an estate planning lawyer is the right choice. But for the vast majority of people, an online Will service provides the same legal outcome at a fraction of the cost and time. If you are considering a lawyer, asking the right questions helps you evaluate whether the expense is justified. Here are the key questions to ask, and how LegalWills.ca compares on each one.
How Much Does a Will Cost, and What Is Included?
Lawyer-drafted Wills in Canada typically cost $500 to $1,500 for a single Will, and $750 to $2,500+ for a couple. Ask exactly what is included: Does the fee cover a Power of Attorney and Living Will, or are those extra? What about the Affidavit of Execution? Storage? Future consultations? Many clients are surprised by additional charges for documents they assumed were included. At LegalWills.ca, $49.95 covers your complete Will with all standard clauses, province-specific customization, and clear signing instructions including an Affidavit of Execution template.
Canadian lawyers charge $500 to $1,500 for creating a single Will but couples must pay between $750 and $2,500 or more for their joint Will. Ask exactly what is included: Does the fee cover a Power of Attorney and Living Will, or are those extra? What about the Affidavit of Execution? Storage? Future consultations? Clients tend to discover extra expenses which exceed their initial document costs when they deal with LegalWills.ca. At LegalWills.ca, $49.95 delivers your complete Will with all typical provisions together with customized elements for your province and straightforward instructions for signing which include an Affidavit of Execution sample.
Life changes require Will updates. marriage, divorce, births, deaths, and asset changes all demand revisions. Ask your lawyer: What does an update cost? Do I need a new appointment? How long will it take? Most lawyers charge $100-$500 per update, and scheduling an appointment adds weeks of delay. At LegalWills.ca, you log into your account, make changes, and print a new Will in minutes; included in your subscription with no additional fees.
Can I Update My Will Whenever I Want?
Many general practice lawyers offer Will-writing as a side service, drafting only a handful of Wills each year. An estate planning specialist writes hundreds of Wills annually and stays current with legislative changes. Ask how many Wills the lawyer drafts per year and whether estate planning is their primary practice area. LegalWills.ca’s templates are developed by estate law specialists and have been refined over more than two decades of continuous service to hundreds of thousands of Canadians.
You need to change your Will when life events occur such as marriage and divorce and when people enter or leave your family through birth or death and when your assets undergo changes. Ask your lawyer: What does an update cost? Do I need a new appointment? How long will it take? Most lawyers charge $100-$500 per update, and scheduling an appointment adds weeks of delay. Your subscription at LegalWills.ca enables you to access your account for changes which result in a new Will document that prints out without any extra charges.
Ask your lawyer: Where will my Will be stored? Will my executor be notified? What happens if you retire or your firm closes? Many Wills end up lost in filing cabinets of retired lawyers. LegalWills.ca addresses this with the Keyholders feature, a notification system that alerts designated people about the existence and location of your Will and other important documents. For more on Will storage, see our guide on how to register a Will.
Are You Actually an Estate Planning Specialist?
Modern estate planning must account for digital assets; online accounts, passwords, cryptocurrency, and digital subscriptions. Most lawyers have no system for cataloguing or securely storing this information. LegalWills.ca’s LifeLocker feature provides a secure digital vault for all your online account information, ensuring your executor can access everything they need.
The majority of general practice lawyers provide Will writing services but they create less than ten Wills throughout an entire year. An estate planning specialist writes hundreds of Wills annually and stays current with legislative changes. You should ask the lawyer about their annual Will drafting volume and check if they concentrate on estate planning as their main professional area. LegalWills.ca operates its template system through estate law specialists who have developed these resources since the company started serving Canadian clients twenty years ago.
| How Will My Executor Find My Will? | Ask your lawyer: Where will my Will be stored? Will my executor be notified? What happens if you retire or your firm closes? Most Wills disappear into the storage boxes which retired lawyers used to keep their files. LegalWills.ca solves this problem through its Keyholders feature which enables users to designate specific people who will receive alerts about their Will and vital document storage details. For more on Will storage, see our guide on how to register a Will. | Can I Store Digital Asset Information with My Will? |
|---|---|---|
| Modern estate planning must account for digital assets which include online accounts and their respective passwords and cryptocurrency holdings and digital subscription services. Most lawyers have no system for cataloguing or securely storing this information. LegalWills.ca provides LifeLocker which serves as a digital storage system to protect all your online account data while allowing your executor to obtain all necessary information. | Online Service vs Estate Planning Lawyer: A Comparison | Question |
| Estate Lawyer | LegalWills.ca | Cost |
| $500 , $1,500+ | $49.95 | Updates |
| $100-$500 per update | Included | Time to complete |
| 1-3 weeks | 20 minutes | Digital asset tools |
| Rarely offered | Yes | Yes |
| LifeLocker included | Yes | Yes |
For most Canadians, an online Will service provides everything a lawyer does, and more, at a fraction of the cost. Start with our step-by-step guide or learn why every Canadian needs a Will.
Tim Hewson is one of the founders of LegalWills.ca.
He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets including CTV, Global News, The Toronto Star, and other leading Canadian publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books.
Throughout his career, Tim has written extensively on the subject of Will writing and estate planning.
