Estate planning is about making clear and deliberate decisions on your own terms before circumstances make them for you. Chad Graham Law is your estate planning law firm serving individuals, families, and incorporated business owners across Edmonton & Leduc County.
We put the right legal documents in place, explain the purpose of these documents, and make sure the estate plan and the corporate structure are built as one plan
A complete estate plan for most Alberta adults involves three core documents: a Will, an Enduring Power of Attorney, and a Personal Directive. Each one addresses a distinct situation.
A Will records your instructions for what happens to your assets after you die. It names your executor — the person responsible for administering your estate — and your beneficiaries. If you have minor children, it names a guardian.
Without a Will, Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act distributes your estate according to a statutory formula. That formula does not know your family, your intentions, or the specific circumstances that matter to you. A Will does.
What Happens If You Die Without a Will in Alberta?
Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA)
An Enduring Power of Attorney appoints someone to manage your financial and legal affairs if you lose capacity through illness, injury, or cognitive decline. Unlike an ordinary power of attorney, an EPA in Alberta is specifically designed to remain effective after incapacity occurs.
You can only sign an EPA while you have legal capacity. Waiting until a health crisis has already happened is too late. At that point, your family must apply to the Court of King’s Bench for a Trusteeship Order, which can be a costly and time-consuming process that a properly signed EPA eliminates entirely.
A Personal Directive governs your healthcare and personal care decisions in Alberta if you cannot make them yourself. It tells your doctors and your family what you want, and appoints a trusted person to speak for you when you cannot.
Without one, those decisions fall to whoever Alberta’s Personal Directives Act places next in line, which may not be who you would choose, and with no written record of your wishes to guide them.
If you own shares in a corporation, a standard Will is not an estate plan. Your executor will inherit a control block in an operating company, a set of tax consequences triggered on the date of death, and a shareholder agreement that may override the Will entirely. Estate planning for Alberta business owners requires coordinating the personal documents with the corporate structure.
We regularly assist business-owning clients with:
This work sits at the intersection of estate planning and corporate law. It is where a plan usually breaks; the lawyer drafts the Will without seeing the corporate structure, or the accountant designs the freeze and nobody documents it correctly. We do both sides, from the same file.
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Step 1 — Complete Your Intake. Most clients start with our online intake, which takes about 15 minutes. Answer guided questions about your family, your assets, and your wishes. If your situation involves a corporation, a trust, or a blended family, reach out directly and we’ll start with a conversation instead.
Step 2 — We Prepare Your Documents. Chad reviews your intake and prepares your Will, Enduring Power of Attorney, and Personal Directive. You review them at your own pace.
Step 3 — Review and Sign. Meet in person at our South Edmonton (Summerside) or Beaumont office, or virtually, to walk through your documents and complete the signing in accordance with Alberta law.
For straightforward estates with no business assets, no blended-family concerns, no trust structures, we offer flat-fee packages with no hidden fees. All packages include lawyer-drafted documents, a full review, and a signing meeting.
| Package | Single Person | Couple (Mirrored) |
| Will Only — For those who need a professionally drafted Will with a full review and signing meeting. | $500 + GST | $800 + GST |
| Complete Package — Will, Enduring Power of Attorney & Personal Directive. Full Estate Plan in One Appointment | $700 + GST | $1,100 + GST |
Start Your Will with the Online Will App →
These packages are designed for straightforward estates. If your situation involves a corporation, a family trust, a second marriage, or other complexity, contact us directly to scope the work and quote accordingly. The first conversation is always without obligation.
Chad Graham Law serves individuals, families, and incorporated business owners across the South Edmonton, Beaumont, Leduc, and Nisku corridor, with virtual service available throughout Alberta. Offices in South Edmonton (Summerside) and Beaumont.
“Thank you to Chad Graham for helping me understand the process in getting a Will prepared for my mother. The documents I needed were completed quickly, it was explained in detail so both my mother and I knew what to expect. Thank you again for your help, really top notch service!” — Serena
“Our meeting with Chad was really informative. Chad took the time to develop rapport and his explanation of the legal process and verbiage was easy to follow, and he was patient with answering our questions. He was clear and highly competent. We did not feel rushed. Estate planning is daunting and we are so happy that our financial advisors referred us to Chad.” — Sodhi
We understand that not everyone wants to start online. If you feel your estate requires a more tailored approach, we are here to help.
Let’s Talk
Our online intake takes about 15 minutes for straightforward estates. If your situation involves a business or a trust, ten minutes on the phone is usually enough to tell you what you need, whether you need it now, and what it will cost.
Estate Planning in Alberta
Yes. Incapacity and death are not exclusively events of old age. An Enduring Power of Attorney and Personal Directive are particularly important for younger adults; these documents govern what happens if you are injured or become ill, not only at death. The consequences of not having them fall on your family immediately.
No. In Alberta, marriage does not automatically revoke a prior Will. If you have married since your Will was signed, your existing documents may still govern your estate, and may not reflect your current family or intentions. A review is worthwhile.
Usually, yes. A Will drafted without reference to your share structure, shareholder agreement, and holding company can create probate fees on corporate assets, trigger unintended tax, or hand shares to someone your co-owners never agreed to. Business owners should coordinate their Will with their corporate documents — and often benefit from an estate freeze or family trust.
Update your estate plan after any significant life change: marriage or separation, birth or adoption of a child, death of a named executor or beneficiary, a significant change in assets, or the start or sale of a business. As a general rule, review your documents every five years regardless.
Almost entirely. The intake is fully online, and document review can be done virtually. An original signature is required, so most clients choose a brief in-person signing at our Edmonton or Beaumont office. We can accommodate fully virtual completion by couriering originals or arranging signing with a notary near you.
