Brianna HarrisonWhen my friend’s parents died, she and her 7 siblings fell into disarray. There was no will left behind, leaving them confused, overwhelmed, and angry with one another.
Everyone wanted something — the house, the cars, the jewelry — and no one wanted to let go of certain assets. They were basically on the verge of cutting ties forever when someone finally got the idea to hire a professional.
Until now, my friend swears that she wouldn’t be on speaking terms with her brother if it weren’t for their probate lawyer. That’s why I’ve decided to follow suit and find the most trusted experts in Toronto who can prevent this from ever happening to my own family.
How much do probate lawyers charge in Toronto?
In Toronto, probate lawyers typically charge a flat fee of around $1,500 to upwards of $10,000. The final rate will depend on your chosen firm’s experience, the size of the estate, and the amount of assets involved.
1. Shaikh Law Firm
Address: TD Canada Trust Tower, 161 Bay St., 27th Floor
Phone: +1 647 812 6983
Business Hours:
- Monday to Friday – 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Saturday to Sunday – Closed
Hiring probate professionals can usually fetch a high price, but Shaikh Law Firm is one of the few exceptions. Their priority is to save your family from unnecessary costs through upfront pricing and efficiency.
Their lawyers have been in the industry for more than 30 years, practicing family and real estate law. This combination makes them an amazing choice for probate matters, including applications, estate administration, and asset distribution.
They know how tricky this can all be, and they’ve honed the skills to make it as peaceful as possible. All throughout the process, their team will be patient and always pleasant to talk to.
We love that they communicate using simple and transparent language as well. It helps families gain a better understanding of their options.
You’ll just have to nudge them from time to time. We’ve heard that some clients occasionally have to follow up to receive updates and see progress.
They made matters very smooth
“I had nothing but most professional, timely and courteous service experience with the firm. Mr. Shaikh and Miss Gayatri were thoroughly well versed in all legal matters. They made the matters very smooth and took care of everything thereby reducing any anxiety one might have when dealing with legal matters. Many thanks for your prompt and professional service. All the best ro you both and the organization.”
– Syed Alam, Google Review
I would not hesitate to use this firm again
“I had a fantastic experience with Shaikh Law. My lawyer was Basim N, who was excellent! He was friendly, knowledgeable, calm, collected and professional. He returned calls and emails promptly and kept me in the loop at all stages during the process – which I really appreciated. I would not hesitate to use this firm again and definitely would recommend Basim.”
– Samuel Bigio, Google Review
2. Blake Chapman Life Planning Law
Address: Hammersmith Ave
Phone: +1 647 360 9519
Business Hours:
- Monday to Thursday – 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Friday – 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Saturday to Sunday – Closed
Blake Chapman and his firm have worked on over 3,500 wills and counting. But with probate concerns, they’ll help you out even if there’s no will to refer to — as long as there’s not much family drama involved.
They’ve worked with plenty of first-timers over the years, so you don’t have to worry about knowing things right away. They’ll be there to guide you through handling joint accounts, determining beneficiaries, and calculating taxes.
What’s even better is that all of this can be done remotely. In fact, a lot of their clients only get to meet with them through video calls.
We think it’s also pretty convenient that you can add and pay for services as you go. They’ve got flat fees for everything, so it’s easy to make adjustments down the line.
Unfortunately, they don’t say yes to every client. His team won’t accept estate cases that may be contested.
He made a difficult task very easy from start to finish
“Blake was amazing to work with! He responded quickly to our numerous questions and changes and would send reminders to keep us on track. He patiently walked us through all the paperwork so we could make educated decisions for our family. I would highly recommend Blake to anyone who is looking to complete or update their paperwork. He made a difficult task very easy from start to finish!”
– Sandra Allen, Google Review
We had a great experience working with Blake
“We had a great experience working with Blake to FINALLY get our documents in order. The whole process was super streamlined, professional and painless – even over Zoom! Blake was great at explaining things in layperson’s terms, flagging items we hadn’t thought of before, and patiently answering all our questions. We definitely recommend his services!”
– Kelly Amsterdam, Google Review
3. Isenberg & Shuman
Address: 5075 Yonge St, Suite #804
Phone: +1 416 225 5136
Business Hours:
- Monday to Friday – 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Saturday to Sunday – Closed
Locals have been turning to Isenberg & Shuman for more than 20 years. The firm can assist with a wide range of practice areas, including probate affairs and all that comes with it — application assistance, transferring properties, and estate accounting.
Part of why they’ve become a popular choice is their surprisingly reasonable rates. You can learn all about it during an initial assessment, where they’ll disclose their legal fees and disbursements upfront.
From there, you’ll already see that their team is very detail-oriented. They play a huge part in making the probate process smoother and faster.
Our favorite thing is that they really try to personalize their service. Their lawyers make an effort to regularly meet clients and get to know them, instead of just sending a clerk.
However, they’re not the most punctual. There have been a few complaints about their experts being late to appointments.
Everything was done quickly, efficiently, and at a fair price
“We highly recommend Bonnie Shuman and her team at Isenberg & Shuman. Several months ago we used Bonnie’s service for our Wills and POA and everything was done quickly, efficiently and at a fair price. We recently used Bonnie’s services again for a complex real estate deal and she was very knowledgeable, timely and responsive during the entire process. Bonnie and her team were very detail oriented. Bonnie always responded to our mails or inquiries quickly and she was very personable and approachable. We would definitely call Bonnie again to use her services at Isenberg & Shuman.”
– Carol Farkas, Google Review
Explained the procedure in detail and successfully rectified the issue
“Lorne recently helped my family with what we thought would be a complex legal issue. Lorne explained the procedure in detail and successfully rectified the issue. Lorne is Professional, Knowledgeable and Kind. He always takes the time to provide information, and kept us in the loop, to put our mind at ease. Thank you Lorne you are Amazing, we appreciate you. Highly recommend Lorne Shuman & Team.”
– Shirley Wong, Google Review
4. De Krupe Law
Address: 20 De Boers Dr, Suite 300
Phone: +1 416 901 9344
Business Hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 9:30 AM to 10:30 PM
- Sunday – Closed
With several offices across Ontario, including Toronto, De Kruppe Law has successfully helped over 3,000 individuals with their legal concerns.
They’ve built a reputation for accepting all types of probate cases, no matter how complicated. Whether it’s only for a simple property or a time-consuming, disputed estate, their experts can handle it.
We especially like that they’re always easily accessible. Apart from offering in-person and online meetings, clients can also set appointments on weekends and after hours.
Their team is consistently communicative as well. Client questions are answered ASAP, information is relayed as soon as they receive it, and updates are provided regularly.
Sadly, you’ll find that your total reflects this level of service. It seems that their fees tend to be higher than those of other firms.
Overall, a very professional and reliable experience
“Jeevan Kuner was an excellent person to work with. He was calm, clear, and extremely detailed throughout the entire process. He was proactive in addressing my concerns, determined to resolve the issue properly, and took the time to explain everything explicitly. He provided many free consultations and follow-ups to determine the correct route before billing, and ensure applicability to my issue. I also really appreciated his flexibility and willingness to meet both during and outside regular business hours. Overall, a very professional and reliable experience.”
– Aidan Beck, Google Review
Despite the complexity of our case, they made the experience easy and seamless
“This is probably the best professional client services I have received to date in any capacity. The De Krupe team are as professional as they get. I worked with Umar Khan, and from the very first interaction, he proved that he was knowledgeable, attentive and paid a high attention to detail. I can’t rave about the quality of his work enough. This is my second time dealing with a real estate lawyer and the experience was night and day. Despite the complexity of our case, they made the experience easy and seamless, super clear communication and ensured there were no surprises. Can’t recommend them enough!”
– Rotimi Fadiya, Google Review
5. Insight Law Professional Corporation
Address: 160 Eglinton Ave E, Suite 300
Phone: +1 647 300 8391
Business Hours:
- Monday to Friday – 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Sunday – 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Saturday – Closed
Insight Law is comprised of an impressive team of lawyers who cover a wide range of practices, including family law and probate proceedings. It’s a huge plus that they’re multilingual, allowing clients to speak comfortably in French, Turkish, and Italian.
These experts have plenty of experience handling the wills and assets of complex and blended family dynamics. People even say that they know how to help minimize family disputes.
We’re sure you’ll appreciate that they go beyond the usual probate application services. You can also depend on them to provide guidance on executor duties, asset transfers, will validation, and accounting.
They’re a great bet for time-sensitive matters, too. Whenever possible, they schedule same-day appointments and respond to questions within a few hours.
The only thing you’ll have to watch out for is some miscommunication issues along the way, which have left several clients confused.
Very high attention to detail and concise information
“Found Insight Law online to notarize some standard forms for probate purposes. I was able to book an appointment day of and notarized the documents on the same day. Demet is great. Very high attention to detail and concise information. Gary was personable and easy to work with too.”
– Nick Sucharski, Google Review
The team at Insight Law was amazing to work with
“Demet and the team at Insight Law were amazing to work with. She was fair, upfront about costs (no surprises), and incredibly responsive during a very time-sensitive situation. She even went above and beyond to make sure everything was executed on time, which I truly appreciated. Thank you, Demet, for all your support — I can’t recommend you and your team enough!”
– Albert Aharonian, Google Review
