The documents, decisions and numbers to have ready so your first will meeting covers new ground instead of paperwork.
⚖️ This is general information, not legal advice. It can't account for your specific situation. Use it to get oriented, then confirm the details with a licensed Ontario lawyer.
The best use of time with a lawyer is deciding things only you can decide: who gets what, who administers it, and who looks after anyone who depends on you. Arriving without the supporting information means part of the meeting is spent gathering facts instead. This checklist groups what to bring into decisions to have made and documents to have found, so the appointment itself can focus on turning both into a will that actually says what you mean.
Decisions to have made
- Who you want as executor, and a backup if that person can't act.
- Who should raise your children if both parents die, and a backup for that too.
- Whether you want a straightforward distribution or something more structured, like a trust for young beneficiaries.
- Specific gifts you want to name individually rather than leave to the general estate.
Documents to bring
- Two pieces of government-issued identification.
- A list of what you own and owe; institution names are enough, account numbers are not needed.
- The beneficiary designations currently on your RRSPs, TFSAs, and life insurance.
- Any existing will, so it can be properly revoked.
- A separation agreement, cohabitation agreement, or court order affecting your family, if one exists.
Numbers and names worth having ready
- Full legal names and addresses for your executor, alternate, and any guardian.
- Ages of any children, since guardianship and trust provisions depend on it.
- The name of any business or corporation you have an interest in.
- Whether you and a spouse or partner are making mirror wills together or separate ones.
Questions worth thinking about beforehand
What happens if a named beneficiary dies before you do? Does everyone get an equal share, or should the split reflect something else, like an earlier gift to one child? Is there a pet, a business, or a digital account that needs a specific instruction rather than a general one?
None of these need a final answer before the meeting, but having thought about them shortens it.
If you're also signing powers of attorney
- Names, addresses and birthdates for your attorney for property and an alternate.
- Names, addresses and birthdates for your attorney for personal care, if different from the first.
- Any wishes about medical treatment, end-of-life care, or a preferred facility, written down or ready to discuss.
- Whether either power of attorney should start immediately or only once you're found incapable.
For a couple making mirror wills together
Each of you still ends up with a separate, individually signed will, even when the plan is essentially the same for both. Come ready to say where your wishes are identical and where they diverge, since a lawyer preparing two documents at once needs both answers, not just one shared assumption.
If one of you has children from an earlier relationship, or assets the other doesn't share, flag it before the meeting rather than partway through, so the drafting reflects it from the start.
How Treadstone Law can help
None of this has to be perfect before you arrive. Bring what you have, flag what you are still deciding, and the rest of the meeting is built around getting the will to say exactly what you mean.
Treadstone Law handles wills & estates matters on a transparent flat fee, with online intake and a real lawyer on your file, across Ontario.
- Start your file online at treadstonelaw.ca/start-file
- See flat-fee pricing at treadstonelaw.ca/pricing
- Learn more about our wills & estates services at treadstonelaw.ca/wills-estates
- Or call us: 1-844-900-1070
This is not legal advice
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Ontario laws and government programs change, and how the law applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, speak with a licensed Ontario lawyer. Treadstone Law is licensed by the Law Society of Ontario — reach us at 1-844-900-1070 or start a file online.