What we prepare
Will and power of attorney packages for Scarborough families
Each package includes estate planning advice from a lawyer licensed by the Law Society of Ontario. Our wills and powers of attorney page covers the law in depth; this page covers what is particular to Scarborough and the rest of the City of Toronto.
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Will
Who receives what, who acts as your estate trustee, and who you would want to raise your children. Best if your powers of attorney are already current.
$750 + HST -
Single will package
Your will, a continuing power of attorney for property and a power of attorney for personal care: the full plan for one person.
$1,000 + HST -
Couples wills
A will for each spouse or partner, with both powers of attorney for each of you.
$1,750 + HST -
Primary & secondary wills
Two wills, with powers of attorney, for owners of private company shares and similar assets that can pass without probate.
$2,500 + HST -
Power of attorney package
Property and personal care, with advice on who to appoint and when their authority starts.
$500 + HST
Signing in Scarborough
Why wills are signed in person on Sheppard Ave E
Real estate documents can often be signed by video. We ask will clients to come in, because the signing itself is part of what protects the will.
An Ontario will has to be signed in front of two witnesses. When Rosalie Wannes meets you in person at the office, she takes your instructions from you directly, usually without the people who will benefit in the room, and keeps notes of how you understood the documents. If anyone later questions whether you had capacity or were pressured, those notes are the evidence your estate trustee will rely on. Ontario law now also allows witnesses to attend by video, with a lawyer as one of them; we explain on the call whether that suits you.
When we come to you
Where a medical or mobility reason makes coming in difficult, we can visit you at home in Scarborough or in hospital, for example at one of Scarborough Health Network’s sites, for an extra $500 + HST. It is not a convenience option: it exists for people who can’t easily travel. Before a hospital visit, we ask the family to check that the person is alert enough to give instructions, because the law requires them to understand what they are signing, and a will made when that is doubtful invites a challenge.
In English, Armenian or Arabic
You can give your instructions in English, Armenian or Arabic. Ask about the language of the documents themselves when you book.
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.
City of Toronto
Toronto rules your estate trustee and attorney will run into
Scarborough has been part of the City of Toronto since 1998, so a Scarborough estate is handled under Toronto’s court and tax arrangements, not those of Durham or York Region.
Probate goes to the Toronto court
Ontario says a probate application is filed in the court for the county or district where the person lived. For a Scarborough resident that is the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, whose estates office is at 330 University Avenue; the application can be filed by email. Our Scarborough probate page explains that process for the estate trustee.
An empty house still needs a Vacant Home Tax declaration
Every Toronto homeowner has to declare the property’s occupancy each year. Under the City’s Vacant Home Tax rules, a home left empty because an owner died can be exempt for up to three consecutive taxation years (the year of death and the two following), with a copy of the death certificate. The exemption has to be claimed: a missed declaration is treated as vacant, and the tax is 3% of the assessed value (as of 2026). Name an estate trustee who will stay on top of it.
The same issue arises before death
If a parent moves into long-term care and their Scarborough house sits empty, the City also has a separate exemption where the principal resident is in care, for up to two years. It is the attorney under the power of attorney for property who files the declaration, and without a power of attorney no one in the family has clear authority to do it.
Scarborough homes
How the way you own your home shapes your will
For most Scarborough families the house is the largest asset. Three situations come up often enough to plan for.
A basement apartment
- A tenancy doesn’t end when the landlord dies: under the Residential Tenancies Act, “landlord” includes the owner’s personal representatives, so your estate trustee steps into your shoes
- Your attorney for property can collect rent, arrange repairs and deal with the tenant if you can’t
- Tell us whether the unit was built with a permit and who is living there, so your documents give the right powers
Owned with an adult child
- Adding a child to title can mean the house passes outside your will, or that the law presumes the child holds it for your estate
- It can also expose the home to the child’s creditors or a separation
- Our Scarborough real estate page covers title changes and closings
A condo or condo townhouse
- Common expenses keep running after death, and unpaid fees can become a lien on the unit
- An estate that sells a condo needs a status certificate like any other seller
- Name an estate trustee who can keep paying the fees until the unit is sold or transferred
Joint ownership with a spouse is often exactly right; our overview of assets outside the will explains why the answer differs for children.
Fees
Flat fees for Scarborough wills
The price is shown in the quote form before you book.
A home or hospital visit in Scarborough or elsewhere in the GTA adds $500 + HST, only 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
Scarborough wills questions
Where do I sign my will in Scarborough?
At our office at 3319 Sheppard Ave E, Suite 103, with two witnesses present. Where a medical or mobility reason makes coming in difficult, we can come to your home or a hospital for $500 + HST.
Can you visit my father in hospital in Scarborough to sign a will?
Yes, where he can’t easily come in, for $500 + HST. He must be able to understand the will and give instructions himself, and the lawyer speaks with him directly. If his capacity is uncertain, tell us beforehand; a power of attorney may be the more urgent document.
Which court handles probate for a Scarborough resident?
The Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, at 330 University Avenue. The application can be filed by email. Estate administration tax is nil on the first $50,000 and $15 per $1,000 above that (as of 2026).
Does my estate have to pay Toronto’s Vacant Home Tax if my house is empty after I die?
Not if the exemption is claimed. A home left vacant because an owner died can be exempt for up to three consecutive taxation years, but the estate trustee still has to file the annual declaration with a copy of the death certificate.
What happens to my basement tenant if I die?
The tenancy continues. Your estate trustee becomes the landlord and must follow the Residential Tenancies Act, including its rules on ending a tenancy if the house is sold. For disputes, we review the situation and refer you.
Should I use the Ontario power of attorney kit instead?
You can: Ontario publishes a free kit. The risk is in the choices and the signing, such as who can witness and when the property power starts. Our package, $500 + HST, includes that advice. The City of Toronto’s legal support page for seniors also lists free community legal resources.
Areas We Serve
Wills for clients across the GTA
Scarborough clients sign at our office. We prepare wills for families elsewhere in Toronto, York, Durham and Peel too; each page below covers what is local to that city. For everything else in Scarborough, see our Scarborough 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
Book your will signing on Sheppard Ave E.
Choose a package and see the price, or book a free 15-minute call to ask which one fits.
Prefer to talk now? Call (647) 707-7718 · Service in English, Armenian and Arabic