Published September 8, 2026 · Legally reviewed by Jaspreet Kaur Daley, Ontario Lawyer
Start with a clear outline of your family, major assets, existing documents and the people you may want to appoint. You do not need a perfect inventory or every decision made before your first call. It is useful to distinguish what the firm needs to understand your enquiry from the detailed information required to prepare your documents.
This checklist is for individuals and couples planning Wills and Powers of Attorney in Ontario, including families using Mand Daley Law’s phone, Zoom and arranged-signing process in Mississauga and the GTHA.
For the initial call: prepare a short brief
Your first conversation should help identify the service you need. Have these points in mind:
Your goal: Are you making your first plan, updating documents after a life change, or dealing with a specific concern about a Will or POA?
Your household: Are you married, common-law, separated or single? Do you have children, children from a previous relationship, or someone who depends on you financially?
Anything requiring special attention: Mention business interests, property outside Ontario, a vulnerable beneficiary, family conflict, communication needs or a genuine deadline.
That is a starting brief, not a request to send an unredacted financial file through a public contact form. Ask the firm how it wants sensitive records provided.
For the planning meeting: organize people, documents and decisions
Family and obligations
Prepare full legal names and relevant relationships. Identify children and other dependants, along with any existing support obligations or family arrangements the lawyer should understand.
Bring relevant marriage contracts, cohabitation agreements, separation agreements or court orders when requested. Explain anything that is uncertain instead of choosing a label simply because it seems closest.
Assets and ownership
List the main asset categories: your home, other property, bank and investment accounts, registered plans, insurance, private-company interests and significant personal property. Add a broad debt summary.
For each major asset, note who legally owns it and whether another person is named to receive it. Write “ownership or designation to confirm” when you are unsure. A guessed answer can be more misleading than an acknowledged gap.
The purpose is to give the lawyer an accurate planning picture, not to place passwords, access codes or an entire financial history in the article’s worksheet.
Existing documents
Gather any earlier Wills, codicils, Powers of Attorney and relevant bank-specific authority forms. Make a note of where originals are held. Do not destroy or mark up original legal documents simply because you are considering an update.
If you cannot find a document, record who prepared it and any information you have about its location. Ask the lawyer what is needed next.
Proposed decision-makers
Think separately about the person who could administer your estate after death, the person who could act for property during your lifetime, and the person who could act for applicable personal-care decisions. Consider a backup for each role.
The same name can appear in more than one role, but it should be a deliberate choice. Read the firm’s guide to Property and Personal Care Powers of Attorney for the distinction. Confirm eligibility and the legal terms with the lawyer.
A one-page conversation worksheet
Use these prompts before the detailed meeting. A blank is acceptable when you need advice.
People: My first-choice estate trustee is ____. My alternate is ____. The people I am considering for property and personal care are ____.
Family: The people whose needs should be discussed are ____. A family circumstance the lawyer should not overlook is ____.
Property: My main asset categories are ____. I need to confirm the ownership or beneficiary designation for ____.
Children and beneficiaries: The issue I most need help deciding is ____. I am uncertain about how an inheritance should be managed for ____.
Earlier paperwork: My existing documents were prepared around ____. I believe the originals are held by ____.
Open questions: Before I sign anything, I want to understand ____.
This worksheet is an educational preparation aid. It does not give legal instructions by itself and is not a Will, POA or substitute for the firm’s intake process.
What should you avoid sending at this stage?
Do not place banking passwords, access codes, full payment-card details or unnecessary identity-document images into an ordinary enquiry. Detailed financial and identity information should follow the firm’s instructions and approved delivery process.
Similarly, do not post confidential family disputes in a blog comment or public review. Tell the firm privately that there is a sensitive issue to discuss.
What happens if a couple disagrees?
Record the issue as unresolved. Do not let one partner silently choose for both people simply to complete a questionnaire.
Hypothetical, not a client story: Two partners agree on the intended beneficiaries but disagree about which relative should administer the estate. They can bring that question to the planning meeting rather than delay the initial call until they have settled it. The lawyer will explain the available options and whether the proposed engagement is suitable.
Questions worth asking before you retain the firm
Ask what work is included, which circumstances could change the price, how drafting and review are handled, and how signing will be arranged. Also ask how to raise a changed instruction and what you will receive at completion.
The Family Protection Plan is priced at $1,500 plus HST for suitable, straightforward couples. It includes coordinated Wills, Continuing Powers of Attorney for Property, Powers of Attorney for Personal Care, lawyer consultation, individualized drafting, a secure questionnaire, phone or Zoom review, coordinated signing and the supporting Will and Power of Attorney Guides. A consultation determines whether that scope fits; having a short asset list does not by itself establish that the legal planning is simple.
Start with what you know
Book a Free 15-Minute Consultation. Choose phone or Zoom. You can begin with your goal, household outline and open questions.
The firm’s Wills and estate-planning service and Powers of Attorney service explain the main types of work.
Technology supports our lawyers. It does not replace them.
General information only. This checklist does not replace legal advice or the firm’s instructions about information and documents. An initial consultation does not create a lawyer-client relationship; the firm must confirm the engagement and the required retainer must be completed.