Buying a home is one of the main reasons that should lead you to getting a will, since when you acquire a large asset you want to protect it. Another important reason is the birth of a child. By preparing a valid will, you determine how your estate will be divided and distributed. Your estate includes what you own and what you owe. If you don’t have a will, the laws of Ontario will determine how your estate is divided. When a person dies without a will, the Succession Law Reform Act sets out how an estate is distributed. Generally, the first $200,000 is given to the deceased person’s spouse and anything above that is shared between the spouse and the children. Things get very complicated if you die without a will and have a common law spouse and/or a blended family because common law spouses don’t have similar rights. It therefore provides you with peace of mind to have a valid will drafted so as to not burden your family with additional stress and problems at the time of your death.

Brigitte DioGuardi
B.A., LL.B
Brigitte obtained her Law Degree from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. Upon her return, she qualified for the Bar and was called to the Law Society of Ontario (formerly the Law Society of Upper Canada) in 2002. She was also a member of the Bar of British Columbia and headed up the Vancouver office of DioGuardi Tax Law. Fluently bilingual in English and French, Brigitte has broad experience in the areas of:
- Tax Law, Civil Assessment Negotiation and Litigation, Criminal Prosecution Defense, Unpayable Tax Debt Solutions, Audits, Tax Amnesty.
- Corporate and Commercial Law
- Real Estate
- Wills and Estates
- Insolvency and Bankruptcy