Is the court-fee amount exact?

No. It is a planning estimate from the published government or court schedule. It does not decide whether a court process is required, which assets are included, or add legal, notarial, accounting, bond, valuation and other costs.

Estate check up: find the first unfinished piece

Q: What should a basic Canadian estate plan include?

A useful first pass checks the will, estate representative and backup, documents for financial and personal-care decisions while alive, beneficiary designations, plans for dependants, an asset and debt inventory, and secure access to originals.

Q: Is a will the same as a power of attorney?

No. A will directs what happens after death. A power of attorney or other authority document is used while a person is alive and normally ends at death. Names and rules vary across Canada.

Q: Does every estate need probate?

No. Whether a court grant or will verification is required depends on provincial or territorial law, the form of will, ownership, beneficiary designations, the assets involved and the requirements of the institutions holding them.

Q: Does this tool save or send estate information?

Selections are stored in the same browser so the checklist is available on the next visit. Nothing is transmitted, no account is created and no email address is requested.

A basic estate check asks eight questions: is the will current, are the right decision-makers named, are beneficiaries and dependant plans aligned, and can someone find what they need? This tool turns “not sure” into a short first-action list.

Free, no email
Saves on your device
All provinces and territories

What this checkup answers

Mark each item as in place, review soon, or not sure or missing. The checkup puts unconfirmed essentials first, then shows the court-process name and published fee context where you live. It does not issue a score.

Your jurisdiction and rough amount

Court-process context for Ontario.

Province or territory

Amount that may need court authority a rough planning number, not net worth

Eight practical checks

one honest pass

“Not sure” is a useful answer. It identifies the next document or conversation without pretending legal readiness can be reduced to a grade.

Will signed under local rules and reflects current wishes
Estate representative and backup the person who handles the estate after death
Financial or property decisions while alive often called a power of attorney; local names vary
Health or personal-care decisions the decision-maker and any wishes if you cannot communicate
Beneficiary designations insurance, pensions, registered accounts and any backups
Dependants and guardianship minor children or anyone who relies on your care or support
Asset, debt and digital inventory what exists and where, without putting passwords here
Original documents and access secure storage, plus a trusted person who knows where to look

First actions to confirm

Start with the first item below; the list is ordered for you.

3 not confirmed, 2 to review, 2 in place. Estate Administration Tax estimate: $6,750.00.

In place2
Review soon2
Not confirmed3
Published court estimate$6,750.00

Your first three

1Financial decisions while aliveArrange the document that authorizes financial or property decisions if you cannot act.
2Health or personal-care decisionsArrange the document for health or personal-care decisions if you cannot communicate.
3Asset, debt and digital inventoryMake a simple inventory of assets, debts, accounts and important digital property.

Ontario

Court process: Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee
Estate Administration Tax estimate: $6,750.00

Ontario charges no Estate Administration Tax on the first $50,000 and $15 per $1,000, or part, above it. Other costs are excluded.

Open the official Ontario source

Need to review the protection side of the plan? Life insurance and beneficiary choices can be checked alongside the rest of the household picture.

Book a protection review

Protection reviews linked here are with Sarah Lagrosa, licensed life and health insurance agent. They are not legal advice or will drafting.

This educational checklist cannot determine whether documents are valid, whether a court grant is required, or what enters an estate. Court amounts are rough estimates from published schedules; legal, notarial, tax, accounting, valuation, bond and other costs may apply. Your selections stay in this browser and nothing is sent. See the disclaimer.

A worked Ontario example

The checkup opens with three unconfirmed items, two items due for review, two in place and one that does not apply. The first-action list puts decision-making documents ahead of the inventory, while the will and beneficiary reviews remain visible for the next pass.

The prefilled estate checkup
Check	Example answer
Will	Review soon
Estate representative and backup	In place
Financial decisions while alive	Not sure or missing
Health or personal-care decisions	Not sure or missing
Beneficiary designations	Review soon
Dependants and guardianship	Not applicable
Asset, debt and digital inventory	Not sure or missing
Original documents and access	In place
Ontario amount that may need court authority	$500,000

For that rough amount, the tool shows $6,750 of Ontario Estate Administration Tax: nothing on the first $50,000, then $15 per $1,000 on the remaining $450,000. That number is only useful if the assets entered actually require the court process.

How the estate checkup works

A will and an authority document do different jobs

A will gives instructions for after death. A power of attorney or other authority document covers decisions while a person is alive and normally ends at death. The names, signing rules and available documents vary by province and territory.

The list checks access as well as paperwork

A document cannot help if the right person cannot find it. The checkup includes originals and a basic inventory, while deliberately asking for no account numbers, passwords or document contents.

The dollar field is narrower than net worth

The estimate is based on a rough amount that may require court authority. Joint ownership, named beneficiaries, the form of will, the type and location of an asset, and an institution's requirements can all affect what needs a grant or verification. Quebec is a clear example: a notarial will does not need verification, while other forms of will do.

A lawyer or notary supplies the legal answer

This checkup helps organize questions. A lawyer or, where applicable, a notary can explain the documents, signing rules, family-law issues, tax considerations and court process for a particular situation.

Core government sources, checked 23 August 2026: the Government of Canada's Estates and wills directory and the federal, provincial and territorial seniors forum's What every older Canadian should know about powers of attorney. The court estimate links to the selected jurisdiction's official schedule.

Official court-fee sources by jurisdiction

Each source below is a government, legislation or court page. The rates file records the date checked and the tool leaves a jurisdiction unestimated when the published route does not support one dependable amount.

Questions people ask

What belongs in a basic Canadian estate plan?

A useful first pass checks the will, an estate representative and backup, documents for financial and personal-care decisions while alive, beneficiary designations, plans for dependants, an inventory, and secure access to originals. The right documents and wording depend on local law and the household.

Is a will the same as a power of attorney?

No. A will gives instructions for after death. A power of attorney or other authority document is for decisions while a person is alive and normally ends at death. The names and rules vary across Canada.

Does every estate need probate?

No. The answer can depend on local law, the form of will, the assets, ownership, beneficiary designations and the requirements of banks, land-title offices and other institutions. The estimate does not decide whether a court process is needed.

Why is there no estate-readiness score?

A score would imply precision this checklist cannot support. One missing authority document may matter more than several current records. The tool therefore orders concrete actions and keeps review items visible.

Is the court-fee estimate exact?

No. It applies the selected jurisdiction's published schedule to the rough amount entered. It excludes legal, notarial, tax, accounting, valuation, bond, certificate and other costs, and it cannot identify which assets belong in the calculation.

Does this tool save or send estate information?

Your selections stay in this browser so the checklist is available next visit. Nothing is transmitted, no account is created and no email address is asked for. Clearing browser data clears the saved checkup.

Where to go next

Life Insurance Needs

Compare the financial need a household would face with the coverage and resources already in place.

Open the tool →

Retirement Savings Calculator

Project personal savings and see the result split between deposits and estimated growth.

Open the tool →

Monthly Budget Calculator

Make room for legal-document fees or other planning costs without losing the rest of the monthly picture.

Open the tool →

The checklist organizes the questions. The right professionals answer them.

A lawyer or notary can handle wills, authority documents and estate law. If life insurance or beneficiary choices are part of the unfinished protection picture, a separate protection review can help clarify the coverage side.

Protection reviews linked here are with Sarah Lagrosa, licensed life and health insurance agent. They do not include legal advice or will drafting.

Book a protection review