Wills & Estates Lawyers

The legacy of SimpsonWigle Law LLP is based on over 100 years of leadership and support for our clients and their families in dealing with their personal planning needs and assisting them to pass wealth to the next generations. Our wills and estates lawyers provide comprehensive estate planning, trust, and estate administration services for clients across Hamilton, Burlington, and all of Ontario. 

These services include assistance with estate litigation, trusts, succession planning, and cross-border estate matters in collaboration with international lawyers. We ensure our clients’ documents are legally sound, in accordance with regulations like the Succession Law Reform Act and Estates Act in Ontario.

Whether you are looking to prepare for present or future estate needs, our team will make sure that your wishes are legally protected and accurately reflected before and after your passing. To discuss your situation, book a consultation with our wills and estates lawyers today. You can call our Hamilton office at 905-528-8411 or email info@simpsonwigle.com today.

Wills & Estates Services Our Firm Offers

At SimpsonWigle LAW LLP, we aim to ensure that your wishes are properly documented and legally protected when it comes to estate planning, administration, and litigation. Our holistic approach to estate law allows us to provide tailored and comprehensive legal advice to a wide variety of clients.

Our wills and estates services include:

Wills & Estate Planning

Our wills and estates team can help individuals draft legally sound wills that are tailored to their personal and financial circumstances. We also assist with planning for power of attorneys or multiple wills, which can help you and your family reduce probate costs in the future. When disputes over powers of attorney arise, our team is available to help you challenge appointments and litigate, when necessary

If you require assistance providing for special needs or vulnerable beneficiaries, our team can help you plan accordingly. We have experience incorporating disability planning and guardianship appointments into clients’ wills.

Our estate planning services also include:

• Family business transitions
• Succession planning
• Transition of wealth
• Generational planning
• Will estate transfers
• Multi-jurisdictional and cross-border planning
• Digital asset planning
• And more

Trusts

Our wills and estates lawyers have experience with the preparation and administration of multiple types of trusts. Depending on your unique needs, we can help you identify and create a trust that best suits your circumstances. Our legal team is able to assist with:

• Testamentary Trusts: Including cottage trusts, principal residence trusts, spousal trusts, and more.
• Inter Vivos Trusts: Also referred to as family trusts, these may be established during your lifetime with the help of an estate lawyer.
• Disability Trusts: We can help you ensure financial security for any beneficiaries you have with special needs.

Our wills and estates team works collaboratively with our firm’s corporate department. This means we also regularly assist with trust issues embedded within corporate or business reorganization matters.

Estate Administration & Probate Matters

The administration of a loved one’s affairs after their death can be a complex process. It is often the case that individuals named as executors or trustees in a will have no prior experience in estate administration. At SimpsonWigle LAW LLP, we assist executors and estate trustees with their legal and financial obligations. 

We can help individuals navigate:

• Real estate transactions from an estate perspective
• Estate accounting
• Passing of accounts
• Real estate transfers
• Distribution of assets to beneficiaries
• Guardianship applications
• Estate probate applications
• Applications for Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee 
• Handling testate and intestate matters
• And more

Estate Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Disputes relating to wills and estates are common and can become especially complicated by complex family dynamics. Our wills and estates group at SimpsonWigle LAW LLP can represent clients in a wide variety of estate disputes and court applications, when necessary.

Our estate litigation services include:

• Will challenges
• Beneficiary disputes
• Interpretation disputes 
• Applications for directions
• Power of attorney disputes, including Substitute Decisions Act matters
• Executor or trustee disputes
• Settlement negotiations and agreements
• And more

Our goal is to help clients resolve their disputes efficiently without prolonged, costly litigation. Our estates group has extensive experience both defending and bringing actions on behalf of all parties that may be involved in an estate.

Why Choose SimpsonWigle LAW LLP for Your Wills & Estates Needs?

At SimpsonWigle LAW LLP, our values include the necessity to remain current and competent in our practice methodologies. We understand that continuity and stability of service is important to our clients as they contemplate future support for their family members. That’s why our wills and estates lawyers take the time to understand each client’s full picture, going beyond simply filling in the blanks in standard documentation.

When you work with our firm, you gain the advantage of:

• Collaborative Practice: Our strength lies in recognizing the importance of our clients’ other professional advisors. Not only do we serve as a legal resource to these advisors, but we also embrace the opportunities to work with them in a collaborative team setting.
• Customized Legal Strategies: Unlike other firms that take a transaction-based approach to legal services, our wills and estates lawyers at SimpsonWigle tailor plans to each client’s unique personal, financial, and historical circumstances. This way, you can feel confident that your estate plan will serve your needs best.
• Clear Communication & Availability: It is a basic principle of our practice to be available to our clients at times of crisis and adapt to the needs of our clients to find the best solution in the circumstances. 
• Proactive Issue-Spotting: Our wills and estates lawyers will help you avoid common estate disputes by identifying potential problems in your will or legal documents before they arise. By implementing solutions prior to conflicts or disagreements, we can help you and your loved ones save time, stress, and money.

As members of the Law Society of Ontario, STEP Canada, Estate Planners’ Council of Hamilton, and additional recognized organizations, our wills and estates lawyers are prepared to help you with a variety of estate matters you may be facing.

Contact our Wills & Estates Lawyers Today

At SimpsonWigle LAW LLP, we recognize that every client has unique needs when it comes to their estate. Our Hamilton wills and estates lawyers understand the nuances that come with diverse assets and will creation. As a result, we’re able to help you plan and protect your estate effectively. 

With offices located in both Hamilton and Burlington, we can help clients with their estate planning, administration, and litigation needs across the province. To discuss your legal matter, schedule a consultation with our wills and estates team today. You can call our Hamilton office at 905-528-8411 or email info@simpsonwigle.com to get in touch.