Monardo Estate Law

About Monardo Estate Law

Monardo Estate Law is a small Toronto firm that practices only in estate law, covering both estate planning and estate litigation. Founder Sandra Monardo started the firm in May 2022 after twelve years in civil and commercial litigation, followed by several years practicing estate planning and estate litigation at a Toronto estate and trust firm, eventually becoming a partner there. Monardo was called to the Ontario bar in 2005, holds a law degree from the University of Windsor and an undergraduate degree in international relations and languages from the University of Toronto, and articled as a law clerk for judges of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

The firm drafts wills and powers of attorney, advises attorneys and guardians on their duties, administers estates, and handles court applications such as passing of accounts, will challenges, attorney disputes, and guardianship disputes. Monardo also acts as an estate trustee and as estate trustee during litigation, and is regularly asked to mediate estate disputes, drawing on that litigation background. The firm's stated goal is to offer estate law services at lower hourly rates and more flexible fee arrangements than larger firms typically use. Within months of opening, it grew to a team of four, working from an office on Bloor Street West in Toronto. Monardo is a first-generation Italian-Canadian, is fluent in Italian, serves the Italian-speaking community, and interned earlier in life at the Canadian Embassy in Rome.