An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office helps clients plan asset distribution, manage incapacity, and handle probate under Alberta law. Estate law in Calgary covers wills, enduring powers of attorney, personal directives, trusts, and estate administration — an estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office guides clients from initial planning through Surrogate Court filings.
Early legal advice ensures your documents are valid and enforceable under Alberta law.
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An estate lawyer in Calgary handles every legal matter connected to protecting a person’s assets during life and distributing them after death. Estate law in Alberta encompasses will drafting, enduring powers of attorney, personal directives, trust creation, probate applications through the Surrogate Court of Alberta, estate administration, and estate dispute resolution.
Many Calgarians assume estate law only applies to high-net-worth individuals or elderly clients. An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office serves anyone with assets, dependents, or personal wishes they want legally protected — including young families, business owners, and newcomers to Canada building their first estate plan.
Creating wills, trusts, enduring powers of attorney, and personal directives that comply with Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act (WSA).
Ensuring a trusted person has legal authority to manage financial and personal decisions if capacity is lost, through an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) and a Personal Directive under Alberta’s Personal Directives Act.
We guide personal representatives through Surrogate Court applications, asset collection, debt settlement, and distribution to beneficiaries.
Representing clients in will challenges, dependent relief claims, breach of fiduciary duty matters, and interpretation disputes.
Dying without a will in Alberta — known legally as dying intestate — means the Wills and Succession Act (WSA) determines who receives the deceased’s assets, who administers the estate, and how property is divided. The deceased’s personal wishes are not considered, and the distribution formula prescribed by the WSA may not reflect what the deceased would have chosen.
If the deceased had a spouse or adult interdependent partner and no children (or only children of that relationship): the surviving spouse or partner receives the entire estate.
If the deceased had a spouse or partner and children from a different relationship: the surviving spouse or partner receives the first $150,000 (the preferential share) plus 50% of the remainder, and the children divide the other 50%.
If the deceased had children but no spouse or partner: the children share the estate equally.
If the deceased had no spouse, partner, or children: the estate passes to parents, then siblings, then more remote relatives, following the statutory order.
Without a valid will, no one has automatic authority to manage the deceased’s affairs. A family member must apply to the Surrogate Court of Alberta for a Grant of Administration before they can access bank accounts, sell property, or distribute assets. This process takes weeks or months and adds legal costs that a properly drafted will would have avoided. A wills lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office drafts wills that comply with the WSA’s formal requirements — including proper witnessing, testamentary capacity, and clear language — to ensure the client’s wishes, not the statutory formula, determine how their estate is distributed.
Call (403) 249-1733Estate lawyer fees in Calgary typically range from $400 to $1,500 or more, depending on the complexity of the estate plan. A simple will costs less than a comprehensive estate plan that includes trusts, business succession planning, and multiple beneficiary structures. An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office provides transparent pricing and discusses fees during the initial consultation.
| Service | Typical Fee Range |
|---|---|
| A simple individual will | $400 – $700 |
| Couples / mirror wills package | $600 – $1,000 |
| Comprehensive estate plan (will + EPA + Personal Directive) | $800 – $1,500 |
| Trust creation (testamentary or inter vivos) | $1,000 – $3,000+ |
| Probate application | $1,500 – $4,000+ |
| Estate administration (full service) | Varies by estate complexity |
| Estate litigation | Hourly or contingency, case-dependent |
Fees for an estate lawyer in Calgary depend on factors including the number of beneficiaries, whether the estate involves business interests or property in multiple jurisdictions, and whether trust structures are required. An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office provides a fee estimate after reviewing the client’s circumstances during a free initial consultation.
Estate disputes in Calgary involve legal challenges to wills, administration, or distribution of estate assets. An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office represents clients in will challenges, dependent relief applications, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and disputes over estate asset distribution.
Contesting a will on grounds of lack of testamentary capacity, undue influence, fraud, or failure to meet the formal requirements of Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act.
Applications under Part 5 of the WSA by spouses, adult interdependent partners, or dependent children who were not adequately provided for in the will.
Claims against personal representatives who mismanage estate assets, engage in self-dealing, fail to account, or delay distribution without justification.
Disagreements about the meaning of specific terms, clauses, or conditions in a will or trust document.
Formal court proceedings where a personal representative presents a detailed accounting of all estate transactions for approval by the beneficiaries and the Court.
Alberta courts strongly encourage mediation and negotiation in estate disputes before proceeding to a contested hearing. An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office pursues resolution through negotiation first and prepares for litigation when settlement is not possible.
Discuss Your Estate DisputeProbate in Alberta is the legal process of validating a will and confirming authority to administer an estate through the Surrogate Court. An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office guides personal representatives through probate applications, asset identification, creditor notification, and final distribution to beneficiaries.
A Grant of Probate is issued when the deceased left a valid will, where the personal representative named in the will applies to the Surrogate Court to confirm their authority; a Grant of Administration is issued when the deceased died without a will (intestate), where an eligible family member applies to the Court for appointment as administrator under the WSA’s priority rules.
Both grants require the applicant to file detailed inventories of assets and liabilities as part of the application to the Surrogate Court.
The applicant must publish a notice to creditors and account for all estate transactions as part of the administration.
Financial institutions and the Alberta Land Titles Office typically require a grant before they will transfer assets or property title.
Not every estate in Alberta requires probate. If the deceased’s assets are held jointly with a right of survivorship, pass through beneficiary designations (such as RRSPs, TFSAs, or life insurance), or fall below certain institutional thresholds, probate may not be necessary. For a detailed guide to the step-by-step administration process, executor responsibilities, and common complications, consult an estate administration lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office.
Estate planning in Calgary includes wills, enduring powers of attorney, personal directives, and trust structures designed to protect assets and ensure legal compliance under Alberta law. An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office builds estate plans tailored to each client’s family, property, and financial circumstances.
Alberta law distinguishes between a regular Power of Attorney and an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA). A regular Power of Attorney ceases to be effective if the donor loses mental capacity — which is precisely when most people need someone managing their affairs. An EPA, by contrast, continues in force (or comes into force) after the donor loses capacity. Without an EPA in place, a family member must apply to the Court of King’s Bench for a trusteeship order — a process that is time-consuming, expensive, and stressful during an already difficult period.
A Personal Directive under Alberta’s Personal Directives Act allows a maker to designate an agent who will make non-financial decisions — including healthcare, living arrangements, and end-of-life care — if the maker becomes unable to make those decisions independently. Clients who need detailed guidance on healthcare directives and agent selection should consult a personal directive lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office.
An estate lawyer in Calgary should be consulted any time a significant life event changes a person’s family structure, asset base, or legal obligations. Waiting until a crisis occurs — a death, a diagnosis, or a family dispute — limits the legal options available and increases cost and complexity.
Newcomers to Canada who are building their first Canadian estate should consider how immigration status, foreign property, and cross-border obligations interact with Alberta estate law. Clients with criminal inadmissibility concerns should consult a criminal inadmissibility lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office to understand how unresolved legal matters may affect their ability to manage Canadian assets.
Centobin Law Office provides estate law services across Calgary with a focus on personalized planning, Alberta-specific legal compliance, and transparent communication.
From initial will drafting through probate, administration, and dispute resolution, under one firm.
Book a confidential consultationEvery document is drafted to comply with the Wills and Succession Act, Powers of Attorney Act, and Personal Directives Act.
Book a confidential consultationClients with intersecting legal needs benefit from Centobin’s criminal defence, immigration, family law, and personal injury practices — coordinating cross-practice legal guidance when a client’s estate plan requires it.
Book a confidential consultationFee estimates provided during the initial consultation with no hidden charges.
Book a confidential consultationIn-person, phone, and virtual consultations are available for clients across Calgary and surrounding communities.
Book a confidential consultationSimple estates with a valid will and cooperative beneficiaries can be administered in 6 to 12 months. Complex estates involving business assets, cross-border property, disputes, or CRA audits may take 18 months to several years. An estate administration lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office provides realistic timelines based on the specific circumstances of each estate.
Learn about estate administrationA will can be challenged in Alberta on grounds including lack of testamentary capacity, undue influence, fraud, or failure to comply with the formal requirements of the Wills and Succession Act. Dependent relief claims — where a spouse, partner, or dependent child was not adequately provided for — are also common. An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office represents clients on both sides of will challenges.
Estate size does not determine whether professional legal guidance is needed. Even a modest estate with a single property, a few bank accounts, and minor children requires a valid will, an EPA, and a Personal Directive to avoid intestacy, delays, and unnecessary legal costs. An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office provides affordable estate planning options scaled to each client’s needs.
Probate in Alberta typically takes 4 to 8 weeks from the date the application is filed with the Surrogate Court, assuming no complications. Complex estates, incomplete documentation, or disputes among beneficiaries can extend the timeline to several months. An estate administration lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office prepares complete applications to minimize delays.
Jointly owned property with a right of survivorship passes directly to the surviving owner outside of probate. Joint tenancy in Alberta transfers ownership automatically upon death, which means the property does not form part of the estate and is not distributed under the will. However, joint tenancy can create unintended tax consequences and expose the property to the co-owner’s creditors. An estate lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office advises whether joint tenancy or tenancy in common is the right ownership structure for each client’s situation.
An estate plan should be reviewed every 3 to 5 years or immediately after any major life event — marriage, separation, birth of a child, death of a beneficiary, significant asset acquisition, or a move to Alberta from another jurisdiction. Changes in Alberta legislation may also affect existing documents. A wills lawyer in Calgary at Centobin Law Office reviews existing plans and recommends updates to maintain legal compliance and alignment with the client’s current wishes.
Talk to a wills lawyer in CalgaryCall (403) 249-1733 or complete the contact form to schedule a free consultation. An estate lawyer at Centobin Law Office reviews your circumstances and provides a clear plan — no obligation, no pressure.
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