A wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office helps individuals and families protect their legacy through professionally drafted wills, enduring powers of attorney, personal directives, estate planning, probate applications, and estate administration under Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act. Centobin Law Office provides comprehensive estate planning services that address asset protection, incapacity planning, and executor guidance — all from a single Calgary-based legal team with cross-practice expertise in criminal defence, immigration, and family law.
Calgary families choose a wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office because estate planning involves legal issues that extend beyond wills — including family law, immigration status, criminal record consequences, and financial risk management that affect asset distribution, executor eligibility, and beneficiary rights under Alberta law.
Most Calgary wills firms focus exclusively on estate documents. Centobin Law Office operates differently. As a multi-practice firm, the legal team at Centobin Law identifies complications that a single-practice estate firm would miss — such as how a criminal record may affect an executor appointment, how immigration status influences estate planning for newcomers to Canada, or how a pending divorce changes beneficiary designations under Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act. Estate plans built without considering the full legal picture create gaps that surface after incapacity or death, when correction is no longer possible.
A criminal defence lawyer in Calgary and immigration lawyer in Calgary at the same firm identify estate issues other firms miss entirely.
Every document is drafted under Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act, Estate Administration Act, and Personal Directives Act — not generic Canadian templates.
Will packages, powers of attorney, and personal directives are offered at predictable flat rates with no hourly surprises.
A family lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office ensures estate plans account for blended families, custody arrangements, and spousal entitlements.
A wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office provides a complete range of estate planning services — including will drafting, enduring powers of attorney, personal directives, trust planning, probate applications, and estate administration — all tailored to Alberta law and each client’s unique family and financial circumstances.
A wills lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office drafts simple wills, mirror wills for couples, mutual wills for blended families, and complex wills involving business assets, real property across provinces, or testamentary trusts. Every will is drafted under Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act and reviewed for enforceability at the Alberta Court of King’s Bench. Centobin Law also reviews existing wills — including holographic (handwritten) wills and DIY kit wills — to identify enforceability risks before they become estate disputes.
An enduring power of attorney (EPA) allows a trusted person to manage financial affairs and property decisions if the maker becomes mentally incapable. Under Alberta law, an EPA can be drafted to take effect immediately or only upon loss of mental capacity. A wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office ensures every EPA clearly defines scope, limitations, and triggering conditions — preventing the financial abuse and family conflict that arise from poorly drafted authority documents.
A personal directive lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office prepares personal directives under Alberta’s Personal Directives Act, appointing an agent to make healthcare, housing, and personal care decisions when the maker can no longer communicate those decisions independently. Without a personal directive, family members may need to apply for a guardianship order through the Alberta Court of King’s Bench — a costly, time-consuming, and emotionally difficult process.
An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office provides trust creation, estate structuring, and incapacity planning services. This includes family trusts for generational wealth protection, discretionary trusts for beneficiaries who need managed distributions, and special needs trusts that preserve government benefit eligibility. Every trust is drafted with attention to Alberta’s specific taxation and succession rules.
An estate administration lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office guides executors and administrators through the probate process at the Alberta Court of King’s Bench, including obtaining a Grant of Probate or Grant of Administration, notifying creditors, managing estate assets, filing final tax returns, and distributing assets to beneficiaries. Estate administration without professional legal guidance frequently results in personal liability for executors who miss statutory deadlines or distribution obligations.
A wills attorney in Calgary at Centobin Law Office offers complete estate planning packages that combine a will, enduring power of attorney, and personal directive into a single, coordinated engagement. Bundled packages ensure all three documents work together without contradictions — and are typically available at flat-rate pricing.
If you need a will or estate plan in Calgary, early legal advice ensures your documents are valid and enforceable under Alberta law. A wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office is available for a free consultation.
Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act (WSA), proclaimed in 2012, governs will creation, validity, interpretation, and intestate succession across the province — replacing the former Wills Act and Succession Act with a single, modernized statute that every Calgary estate plan must comply with.
The WSA introduced several changes that directly affect how wills are drafted and enforced in Alberta. Key provisions include: the court’s expanded power to validate wills that do not meet strict formal requirements (the “substantial compliance” doctrine under section 37), the requirement that a will must be in writing and signed by the testator in the presence of two witnesses for formal wills, recognition of holographic wills written entirely in the testator’s handwriting and signed (no witnesses required), automatic revocation of gifts to a former spouse upon divorce or relationship breakdown (unless the will specifically states otherwise), and the Wills and Succession Act’s intestacy rules that govern distribution when no valid will exists.
What Happens If You Die Without a Will in Alberta?
If a person dies without a valid will in Alberta (intestate), the Wills and Succession Act distributes the estate according to a fixed statutory formula. A surviving spouse or adult interdependent partner receives the first $150,000 of the estate (the “preferential share”), plus a proportionate share of the remainder depending on whether children survive. If no spouse or partner survives, the estate passes to children equally. If no children survive, the estate passes to parents, then siblings, then more distant relatives under the parentelic distribution model. The Estate Administration Act determines who may apply to administer the estate when no executor has been named.
⚠️ Important: Under Alberta’s Limitations Act, dependants and certain family members who believe they have not been adequately provided for in a will must bring a claim for maintenance and support within six months of the Grant of Probate. Missing this deadline may permanently bar the claim. Consult a wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office immediately if you believe an estate plan does not adequately provide for you or your dependents.
A wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office provides transparent pricing for will drafting and estate planning. A simple lawyer-drafted will in Calgary costs between $400 and $1,000 on average, while comprehensive estate planning packages that include a will, enduring power of attorney, and personal directive typically range from $800 to $1,500 per individual — depending on estate complexity, family dynamics, and the number of documents required.
Calgary Will Cost Comparison
| Will Creation Method | Approximate Cost Range |
| DIY will kit | $20 – $100 |
| Online will platform | $99 – $250 |
| Simple lawyer-drafted will | $400 – $1,000 |
| Comprehensive estate package (will + EPA + personal directive) | $800 – $1,500 (individual) |
| Complex estate plan (trusts, business assets, multi-province property) | $1,500 – $4,000+ |
DIY kits and online platforms may be adequate for very simple estates, but they carry enforceability risks — particularly for blended families, estates with real property, business owners, and newcomers to Canada who may have assets in multiple jurisdictions. A wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office provides flat-rate estate planning packages with no hidden fees, ensuring every document is drafted under Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act and reviewed for enforceability at the Alberta Court of King’s Bench.
Newcomers to Canada face estate planning complications that Canadian-born residents do not — including assets held in foreign jurisdictions, international beneficiaries who may face cross-border tax consequences, and immigration status questions that affect property ownership and spousal rights under Alberta law.
An immigration lawyer in Calgary and a wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at the same firm — Centobin Law Office — provide integrated estate planning for permanent residents, temporary residents, and citizens who maintain financial ties abroad.
Common estate planning issues for newcomers include: wills drafted in another country may not be recognized in Alberta, requiring a new Alberta will that specifically addresses Canadian assets while preserving the foreign will for assets abroad (a “split will” strategy); beneficiary designations on RRSPs, TFSAs, and life insurance must comply with Canadian financial regulations; spousal entitlements under Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act may differ significantly from the succession laws of the newcomer’s country of origin; and temporary residents who die while in Canada may leave estates subject to both Canadian and foreign succession laws, creating complex cross-border administration.
Do Newcomers to Canada Need a Canadian Will?
Any person who owns assets in Alberta — including real property, bank accounts, RRSPs, TFSAs, or vehicles — should have a will drafted under Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act, regardless of immigration status. A foreign will may be partially recognized in Alberta, but it cannot address Canadian-specific financial instruments, beneficiary designations, or executor appointments at the Alberta Court of King’s Bench. Newcomers arriving through express entry or family sponsorship programs should consult a wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office as part of their settlement planning.
A criminal record can create unexpected estate planning complications in Alberta — from limiting who may serve as executor or trustee to affecting beneficiary designations and the court’s willingness to grant probate to a named personal representative.
Under Alberta law, a person with a criminal record is not automatically disqualified from serving as an executor. However, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench retains discretion to refuse a Grant of Probate or remove an executor if the court determines the criminal history creates a conflict of interest, a risk to beneficiaries, or raises concerns about the personal representative’s fitness to manage estate assets. Fraud convictions, theft convictions, and breach of trust offences carry the greatest risk of executor disqualification.
A criminal defence lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office works alongside the wills and estates team to evaluate whether a criminal record — or a pending criminal charge — affects the client’s estate plan. Proactive steps may include naming an alternate executor, establishing a trust with an independent trustee, or addressing the record through a record suspension (pardon) application before estate documents are finalized.
Can a Person With a Criminal Record Be an Executor in Alberta?
A criminal record does not automatically disqualify a person from serving as executor in Alberta, but the Alberta Court of King’s Bench may refuse to grant probate or remove an executor if the conviction raises concerns about fitness to manage estate assets. Fraud, theft, and breach of trust convictions carry the highest risk. A wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office evaluates criminal record impacts during estate planning and recommends protective measures — such as alternate executor appointments or independent trustee arrangements. Learn more about how criminal records affect legal rights: criminal record consequences .
Every adult in Alberta who owns assets, has dependants, or wants control over how healthcare decisions are made during incapacity should have a will. Without a will, Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act distributes your estate according to a fixed statutory formula — which may not reflect your wishes. A will drafted by a wills lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office ensures your assets go to the people you choose, your children are placed with guardians you trust, and your executor is someone you have selected.
Under Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act, a formal will must be signed by the testator in the presence of two witnesses, both of whom must also sign the will in the presence of the testator. A witness must be at least 18 years old, mentally competent, and should not be a beneficiary or the spouse of a beneficiary named in the will, although the WSA’s substantial compliance provisions may allow the court to validate a will where a witness is also a beneficiary if satisfied the testator intended the document to be their will.
A will governs how assets are distributed after death. An enduring power of attorney (EPA) grants authority to manage financial affairs and property during the maker’s lifetime if they become mentally incapable. A personal directive governs healthcare, housing, and personal care decisions during incapacity. All three documents work together as a complete estate and incapacity plan under Alberta law — and should be drafted by the same wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office to prevent contradictions between documents.
Probate in Alberta is the legal process through which the Alberta Court of King’s Bench validates a deceased person’s will and formally appoints the executor (personal representative) to administer the estate. The executor applies for a Grant of Probate, which gives them legal authority to collect estate assets, pay debts, and distribute property to beneficiaries. When no will exists, the court issues a Grant of Administration instead. An estate administration lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office handles the full probate application process from filing to final distribution.
A will should be reviewed every three to five years, and updated immediately after any major life event — including marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, the death of a named beneficiary or executor, significant changes in assets, a move to a different province, or a change in immigration status. Under Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act, marriage does not automatically revoke a will, but divorce does revoke gifts to the former spouse unless the will specifically states otherwise.
Alberta law permits holographic wills — handwritten wills created entirely in the testator’s handwriting and signed, without witnesses. While legally valid, holographic wills carry significant enforceability risks: ambiguous language, missing beneficiary designations, failure to account for Alberta-specific legal requirements (such as adult interdependent partner rights), and increased probability of estate disputes. A lawyer-drafted will eliminates these risks and typically costs between $400 and $1,000 for a simple will in Calgary.
A wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office provides will drafting, enduring powers of attorney, personal directives, estate planning, probate, and estate administration under Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act
A wills and estates lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office helps you create a legally valid estate plan that protects your assets and ensures your wishes are followed under Alberta law. Contact Centobin Law Office for a free consultation.
About Centobin Law Office — Wills and Estates Services in Calgary
Centobin Law Office is a Calgary-based law firm providing wills and estates legal services to individuals and families across Calgary and southern Alberta. The wills and estates team at Centobin Law Office drafts wills, enduring powers of attorney, personal directives, trusts, and estate administration documents under Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act, Estate Administration Act, and Personal Directives Act. As a multi-practice firm, Centobin Law Office also provides criminal defence, immigration, family law, personal injury, real estate, and landlord-tenancy legal services — enabling integrated estate planning that accounts for cross-practice legal complications that single-practice estate firms cannot address.
Hear from Our Satisfied Clients
Davis
This legal team easily guided me through a complicated family law matter. Their team was responsive and knowledgeable and always had my best interests at heart.
Ethan
I needed help with a commercial dispute, and Centobin Law resolved it efficiently. Their attention to detail and commitment to my case was outstanding.
Liam
I was facing criminal charges and didn’t know where to turn. This law firm not only defended my rights but treated me with respect and understanding throughout the process.
Aiden
I couldn’t have asked for better representation during my divorce. Centobin Law truly cared about my situation and fought for my best interests.
Lucas
I was impressed by the way they handled my immigration case. The lawyers were knowledgeable and helped me through every step of the process.
Jack
Centobin Law Office was there for me when I needed legal representation the most. Their team was professional, prompt, and gave me the results I needed.
