Estate planning is not about paperwork. It is about making decisions — clearly, deliberately, and on your own terms — before circumstances make them for you.
Edmonton & Beaumont Estate Planning Lawyer
At Chad Graham Law, we help Alberta individuals, families, and business owners put the right legal documents in place, understand what those documents actually do, and feel confident that the people they care about are protected.
What Estate Planning Includes
A complete estate plan for most Alberta adults involves three core documents. Each one addresses a distinct situation.
Will
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.
Enduring Power of Attorney
An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) 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 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 — a costly and time-consuming process that a properly signed EPA eliminates entirely.
Personal Directive
A Personal Directive governs your healthcare and personal care decisions 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 are made by 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.
Estate Planning for Business Owners
If you own shares in a corporation, your estate planning needs go beyond a basic Will. Business interests require coordination between your personal documents and your corporate structure — and often involve additional planning tools.
We regularly assist business-owning clients with:
- Family trusts — including trust deeds, trustee obligations, and integration with corporate share structures
- Estate freezes — restructuring corporate shareholding to cap capital gains exposure and pass future growth to the next generation or a family trust
- Succession planning — ensuring your business can transition smoothly on your death or retirement, including share transfer provisions and buy-sell arrangements
- Holding company structures — coordinating Will provisions with corporate structures to ensure your estate plan reflects how your wealth is actually held
This work happens at the intersection of estate planning and corporate law — and it requires a lawyer who is comfortable in both areas.
[Internal link: link “estate freezes” to the Corporate & Commercial service page]
How the Process Works
Step 1 — Complete Your Intake Most clients start with our online intake, which takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. Answer guided questions about your family, your assets, and your wishes. If your situation is more complex, reach out directly and we’ll start with a conversation.
Step 2 — We Prepare Your Documents We review your intake, prepare your Will, EPA, and Personal Directive, and send them to you for review before we meet.
Step 3 — Review and Sign We meet in person (Edmonton or Beaumont) or virtually to walk through your documents, answer any questions, and complete the signing in accordance with Alberta law.
Estate Planning Packages
For straightforward estates — no blended family concerns, no business assets, no complex trust structures. Clear pricing, no surprises.
Will Only
For those who need a professionally drafted Will with a full review and signing meeting.
+ GST | Single person
What’s included- Lawyer-drafted Will Customised to your family and wishes
- Online intake (approx. 15 min) Complete from home, on your schedule
- Document review meeting In person or virtual — your choice
- Signing with your lawyer Properly executed under Alberta law
Complete Package
Will + Enduring Power of Attorney + Personal Directive. Full estate plan in one appointment.
+ GST | Single person
What’s included- Lawyer-drafted Will Customised to your family and wishes
- Enduring Power of Attorney Financial & legal decisions if you lose capacity
- Personal Directive Healthcare & personal care decisions
- Online intake (approx. 15 min) Complete from home, on your schedule
- Full review & signing meeting In person or virtual — your choice
Mirrored Wills
Wills for two people, prepared together in a single process. Mirrored structure where appropriate.
+ GST | Two people
What’s included- Two lawyer-drafted Wills Individual documents for each person
- Coordinated intake process Complete together — approx. 15 minutes
- Joint review meeting In person or virtual — your choice
- Signing for both Properly executed under Alberta law
Complete Package
Full estate plan for two — Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Personal Directives in one appointment.
+ GST | Two people
What’s included- Two lawyer-drafted Wills Individual documents for each person
- Two Enduring Powers of Attorney Financial & legal protection for both
- Two Personal Directives Healthcare decisions documented for both
- Coordinated intake (approx. 15 min) Complete together, on your schedule
- Joint review & signing meeting In person or virtual — your choice
More complex situation? These packages are designed for straightforward estates without blended family concerns, business assets, or trust structures. If your situation involves a second marriage, business interests, a family trust, or other complexities, reach out directly — we’ll scope the work and quote accordingly. The first conversation is always without obligation.
How It Works
Complete Your Intake
Answer guided questions online in about 15 minutes. No office visit required to get started.
We Prepare Your Documents
Chad reviews your intake and prepares your Will, EPA, and Personal Directive. You review them at your pace.
Review & Sign
Meet in person (Edmonton or Beaumont) or virtually to sign. Properly executed under Alberta law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Will if I’m young and healthy? Yes. Incapacity and death are not exclusively events of old age. An EPA 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 in place can fall on your family immediately.
Does marriage revoke my existing Will in Alberta? 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.
How often should I update my 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.
Can I complete this process virtually? Yes (well… almost!). The intake process is entirely online. Signing can be done virtually in most cases, but an original signature is required. For convenience, most choose to do a brief in-person signing meeting at our Edmonton or Beaumont offices. But we can accommodate virtual signing by sending originals back and forth, or by having our video explanation meeting and then having you visit a notary near you to sign the key pages.
Ready to Get Started?
Our online intake takes about 15 minutes. We handle the rest.
Or contact us for more information:
Chad Graham Law serves clients in Edmonton, Beaumont, and throughout Alberta.