Working with us
A Toronto office, for North York clients
We have no North York office. Our only office is at 3319 Sheppard Ave E in Toronto, and that is where most wills are signed.
The first step is a free 15-minute call, by phone, at a time you choose. From there you pick a package in the quote form, and the price is fixed before you book: a will is $750 + HST, the single will package with both powers of attorney $1,000 + HST, couples wills $1,750 + HST. The law behind each document is explained on our wills and powers of attorney page; this page is about the questions North York clients bring.
The instructions meeting
You give your instructions to the lawyer yourself. That matters more than people expect: if a will is ever challenged on the ground that the person lacked capacity or was influenced by a family member, the lawyer’s notes of a private meeting are central evidence. You then sign with two witnesses present.
If you can’t come in
Where a medical or mobility reason makes the trip difficult, we can come to you at home in North York, or in hospital, for example at North York General or Humber River Hospital, for $500 + HST. We use it for people who genuinely need it, not as a routine alternative to the office.
Condo owners
What happens to a North York condo if you become ill or die
North York Centre and the Sheppard and Bayview corridors are lined with condominium towers. A condo unit passes under your will like any home, but the building keeps sending bills, and your documents should let someone pay them.
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Step 1: While you are alive but unable to manage
Your attorney under a continuing power of attorney for property pays the common expenses, deals with the property manager and, if needed, rents or sells the unit. Without one, a family member can’t step in; someone would have to be appointed first.
We handle
- Choosing an attorney and a backup
- Deciding when the property power takes effect
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Step 2: In the months after death
Common expenses don’t stop. As the Condominium Authority of Ontario explains, the corporation automatically has a lien on the unit for unpaid fees, with interest and collection costs. Your estate trustee needs access to money to keep them paid while the estate is sorted out.
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Step 3: Selling or transferring the unit
If the unit is sold, the estate trustee usually needs probate first and orders a status certificate like any seller. If it goes to a beneficiary, the transfer is registered on title. Our North York probate page covers both.
Why Wannes Law
A Toronto law firm that keeps you informed
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A licensed Ontario lawyer
Rosalie Wannes, licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, is responsible for your file from start to finish.
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Fees before you commit
Instant online quotes and published flat fees, so you know the cost before you retain us.
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Every step explained
Plain-language explanations of what happens, what you provide and what we handle, at every stage.
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Direct access
Reach your lawyer and law clerk directly by phone and email while your matter is underway.
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Sign in person or remotely
Meet at our Sheppard Ave E office in Toronto, or review documents by video and courier the originals.
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English, Armenian and Arabic
Talk through your matter in the language you are most comfortable with.
A second unit or an investment condo
When you own more than one property
If you own a family home and also a condo bought to rent, or a unit bought for a child at university, the tax rules matter. On death, the Canada Revenue Agency treats you as having sold everything you own just before you died, and that shapes how the will should be written.
What the tax rules mean
- Property left to a spouse or common-law partner living in Canada can generally pass without an immediate capital gain
- Otherwise any gain on the rental condo is taxed on your final return, even if the unit isn’t sold
- A condo can be a principal residence, but a family can generally designate only one home for any given year
What to decide in the will
- Which beneficiary receives the unit, and whether that share bears the tax it triggers
- Whether the estate trustee may keep renting the unit until it is sold
- Whether the unit should be held in trust for a child rather than handed over outright
Toronto’s Vacant Home Tax
- An estate must still file the City’s annual occupancy declaration for each unit
- A unit that sits empty after an owner’s death can be exempt for up to three consecutive years, but only if the exemption is claimed; see the City’s Vacant Home Tax page
- A unit rented under a lease for six months or more of the year is generally not vacant
We raise these points at your instructions meeting; your accountant should confirm the tax figures.
North York families
Houses that have grown in value, and the Toronto court
Many North York bungalows and split-levels bought decades ago are now worth several times what was paid. That changes what a will has to do.
An equal split may not be equal
If one child is to receive the family home and the others the investments, values can drift apart over the years between signing the will and death. A gift of a share of the residue, or an equalizing clause, keeps the division fair whatever happens to prices. If a child lives in the house, say whether they may stay, for how long and who pays the costs.
Probate at 330 University Avenue
North York is in the City of Toronto, so probate goes to the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, whose estates office is at 330 University Avenue. Estate administration tax is calculated on the value of the assets in the application: nothing on the first $50,000 and $15 per $1,000 above (as of 2026). On a house worth $2,000,000 with no mortgage, that is $29,250. It can’t be avoided on a home in your sole name, but owners of private company shares can often use primary and secondary wills to keep those shares out of the calculation.
If you are buying or selling
How you take title to a new home, jointly or as tenants in common, is part of your estate plan. Our North York real estate page explains the choice at closing.
Fees
Flat fees for North York clients
A home or hospital visit in North York adds $500 + HST, available where a medical or mobility reason makes coming in difficult. The person making the will must have full mental capacity. Services in English, Armenian and Arabic. See all our legal fees.
Get your instant quoteQuestions
North York wills questions
Do I have to travel to our office to sign my will?
Usually, yes: wills are signed with two witnesses at our Sheppard Ave E office. Where a medical or mobility reason makes coming in difficult, we can come to your North York home or a hospital for $500 + HST.
Who pays the condo fees after I die?
Your estate, through your estate trustee. Unpaid common expenses give the condo corporation a lien on the unit, so the trustee should keep them paid until the unit is sold or transferred to a beneficiary.
Can my attorney rent out or sell my condo if I move into care?
Yes, if you have a continuing power of attorney for property. Your attorney can do anything with your property that you could do, except make a will. They must act in your interest and keep accounts.
I own a rental condo as well as my home. What should my will say?
Who receives the rental unit, whether that beneficiary’s share bears any capital gains tax triggered at death, and whether the estate trustee can keep renting until it is sold. Only one home can generally be designated as the family’s principal residence for a given year.
Which court handles probate for someone who lived in North York?
The Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, at 330 University Avenue, the same as for the rest of the city. The application can be filed by email.
Is there a free power of attorney form?
Ontario publishes a free power of attorney kit. It works for simple situations if you follow the witnessing rules carefully. Our package is $500 + HST and includes advice on who to appoint and when the property power should start.
Areas We Serve
Wills for clients across the GTA
We prepare wills for families across Toronto, York, Durham and Peel. For real estate, immigration and notary services in North York, see our North York page.
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Scarborough
Wills & powers of attorney for Scarborough clients. Our office is on Sheppard Ave E.
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North York
Wills & powers of attorney for North York clients.
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Markham
Wills & powers of attorney for Markham clients.
Here to help
Put a plan in place for your home.
Choose a package and see the price, or book a free 15-minute call first.
Prefer to talk now? Call (647) 707-7718 · Service in English, Armenian and Arabic