Planning ahead
The lawyers at Gilbert McGloan Gillis take the time to make sure your individual needs are met, and that every will we prepare suits your particular circumstances.
Estate litigation can be costly, time-consuming and stressful for the people you leave behind. That’s why we prepare every document with care, so the estate can be administered as smoothly as possible.
When you’re responsible for an estate
You’ve been left to handle the estate of a friend or loved one, and you have so many questions you don’t know where to start.
Perhaps you’re named as executor in the will. Perhaps there’s no will and no one else is willing or able to see the person’s wishes carried out. Perhaps you are, or think you may be, a beneficiary and want to make sure you’re treated fairly.
Estate administration today can be highly complex. Executors and administrators face the possibility of litigation and personal liability if they act improperly, even when they believe they’re acting properly and in good faith.
How we can help
- Advising you on your rights and responsibilities as an executor or administrator
- Applying for letters probate and letters of administration
- Advising on beneficiaries' rights and bequests under a Last Will and Testament
- Handling the estate's creditors and debts
- Administering the estate itself, from the reading of the will to gathering and selling assets to the final passing of accounts
- Setting up trusts and helping trustees navigate their role
- Estate litigation, including contesting or defending the validity of a will
Probate, explained
What does “probate” actually mean?
A bank or insurance company may have told you that you need probate. Obtaining letters probate means applying to court to formally prove that the will is valid and confirm your authority to administer the estate.
When someone dies without a will (intestate), a similar process applies: an application for letters of administration.
We can tell you whether probate is actually necessary, and handle every part of the application for fees fixed by provincial rules.