Wills & POA
Wills & powers of attorney that hold up — because they were drafted to
Barbarian Law® prepares Wills, mirror Wills for couples, and Powers of Attorney for property and personal care in Aurora, Ontario, for clients across the Greater Toronto Area. A Will is $750 and a Power of Attorney is $450, each drafted and executed by a licensed Ontario lawyer with proper witnessing and a sworn affidavit of execution — flat fees stated in writing, with no retainer paid up front.
A Will is only worth what it’s worth on the day it’s tested. At Barbarian Law®, every Will and Power of Attorney is drafted and executed personally by a licensed Ontario lawyer — precise drafting, proper witnessing under Ontario’s execution requirements, and an affidavit of execution sworn by an attesting witness, so validity is built into the document rather than hoped for later. Flat fees, stated in writing before work begins, invoiced after the work is done.
Without a Will, Ontario’s intestacy rules decide who inherits — and the result often looks nothing like what you would have chosen. The process is simpler than most people expect: our process guide walks you through exactly how it works, and our plain-language overview explains why lawyer-drafted documents matter.
Barbarian Law® · 14981 Yonge Street, Aurora, ON · (647) 290-3565 · Serving the GTA and beyond
Wills
A Will directs how your property is distributed, names your estate trustee, and — for parents — designates a guardian for minor children. This is transactional drafting at its most consequential: a document built to Ontario’s Succession Law Reform Act requirements, fitted to your actual circumstances — family structure, business interests, and property — and executed so no one can question how it was signed.
Last Will & Testament
A lawyer-drafted Will tailored to your estate: beneficiaries and specific gifts, your choice of estate trustee, guardianship designations, and drafting choices that keep unnecessary probate exposure out of the document. Executed with proper witnessing and an affidavit of execution from an attesting witness — the sworn proof of valid signing that courts and banks look for.
Mirror Wills
Coordinated Wills for spouses or partners — parallel documents that leave the estate to each other and then to agreed beneficiaries, prepared together in one engagement so both plans stay consistent, at one flat fee for the couple.
Estate planning with a business
Shares in a corporation are estate assets — and how they pass matters. Because the same lawyer practises corporate law, your Will, shareholder agreement, and corporate records are aligned instead of contradicting each other — the contradiction being where estates of business owners most often go wrong.
Document storage & access
An unlocatable Will is as useless as an invalid one. You’ll leave knowing where the originals should live and who needs to know — and for added security, Barbarian Law can retain copies and provide digital access on request, so your executor is never searching drawers at the worst possible moment.
Powers of attorney
A Power of Attorney appoints someone you trust to act for you if you cannot act for yourself. In Ontario there are two kinds, each with its own statutory requirements — and a complete plan usually includes both, executed in the same appointment as your Will.
POA for Property
Authorizes your attorney to manage finances, banking, real estate, taxes, and business interests. Available as continuing (survives your incapacity — the usual choice for estate planning) or limited (restricted to a specific purpose or period, such as closing a real estate deal while you are out of the country).
POA for Personal Care
Appoints the person who makes health care, housing, and personal decisions if you cannot. Named while you are well, so the decision-maker is your choice — not a default, and not a courtroom’s.
Survivorship applications
When a joint owner of real estate passes away, the survivor’s interest must be formally registered on title. The application is prepared and filed here — one of the places where the real estate practice and estate work meet under one roof.
Why not a DIY kit? Online templates regularly fail Ontario’s strict execution requirements — a witnessing error alone can invalidate the entire document, and the people who discover the mistake are your family, after the fact, when nothing can be fixed. A lawyer-drafted Will costs a known flat fee now and comes with sworn proof of proper execution; an invalid Will costs your estate far more later, in the one situation where you can no longer help. The comparison isn’t between two prices — it’s between a document that works and one that might.
How it works
The process is simpler than most people expect: an intake conversation about your family, assets, and wishes; drafts prepared and explained in plain language — if a clause can’t be explained in one sentence, it isn’t finished; revisions if needed; then a signing appointment with proper witnessing and the affidavit of execution sworn, so everything leaves the office validly executed. Coming prepared speeds it up — a list of beneficiaries, your choice of estate trustee and attorneys, and any specific gifts. The full checklist is in the Will & POA process guide.
Good times to make or update your plan: buying a home, getting married or separated, having children, starting or selling a business, or any significant change in assets. If your Will predates any of these, it is due for a review.
Flat fees. Specific retainers. Never evergreen.
Wills and Powers of Attorney are flat-fee services with the fee published and stated in writing before work begins — for individuals or couples. No deposit into trust, no top-ups: you’re invoiced after the documents are delivered and executed. No hourly surprises on documents whose entire purpose is certainty.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay anything up front?
No. Barbarian Law® runs specific retainers, not evergreen retainers: the flat fee is stated in writing before work begins, and you’re invoiced after your documents are delivered and executed. No deposit into trust, no top-ups.
What makes a Will valid in Ontario?
A typical formal Will must be in writing, signed by you at its end, in the presence of two witnesses present at the same time, who each sign in your presence — and neither witness should be a beneficiary or a beneficiary’s spouse, or their gift can be void. It’s a short list, and DIY documents fail it constantly. Every Will executed here is witnessed properly and accompanied by an affidavit of execution, the sworn statement that proves it was done right.
What happens if I die without a Will in Ontario?
Ontario’s intestacy rules decide who inherits — a fixed formula that starts with your spouse and children in set proportions and moves outward to other relatives. The formula ignores your actual wishes, common-law partners can be left out entirely, and the court appoints the estate administrator. A Will replaces all of that with your own instructions.
What is the difference between a continuing and limited POA for Property?
A continuing POA remains effective if you become mentally incapable — that endurance is the point of including it in an estate plan. A limited POA is restricted to a defined purpose or time period, such as authorizing someone to sign closing documents while you are travelling. Both are prepared here, depending on the need.
Do my spouse and I need separate Wills?
Yes — each person needs their own Will, but couples typically prepare mirror Wills: parallel documents drafted together in one process, leaving the estate to each other and then to the same beneficiaries. It is one engagement at one flat fee, not two separate ones.
Should I update my Will after buying a home or starting a business?
Yes. A home usually changes the shape of your estate — and how title is held affects what happens on death. Business shares raise their own questions, especially where a shareholder agreement exists. Because the same lawyer practises real estate and corporate law, the pieces are made to agree with each other.
Do you handle estate disputes or Will challenges?
No — Barbarian Law® is a transactional firm, deliberately: the work here is drafting and executing plans so precisely that disputes don’t get a foothold. If a contested matter arises, Karim refers you promptly to an estates litigation specialist and provides the drafting file and execution records the matter requires — which is exactly when a properly witnessed Will and its affidavit of execution pay for themselves.
Your lawyer
Karim Eshqoor · BBA · LLB · LLM · Called to the Ontario Bar, June 2021
Karim is the founder of Barbarian Law® and prepares every Will and Power of Attorney personally — the intake conversation, the drafting, and the signing appointment. His practice also spans real estate, corporate law, and commercial contracts — the areas where estate plans most often intersect with the rest of your life. Learn more about the firm.
Also at Barbarian Law®: real estate closings, corporate law, commercial contracts, buying & selling a business, fractional general counsel, sports & hospitality, and notary services. Referral partner? Let’s talk.
This page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, please contact Barbarian Law® directly. Barbarian Law® is a registered trademark (TMA 1,359,734).