Quebec directory

Wills, Estates & Trusts Law Firms in Montréal, Quebec

72 law firms.

What does a wills and estates notary in Montréal do?

In Quebec, most wills and estate work is handled by a notaire (notary), not a lawyer. A Montréal wills and estates notary drafts your will, keeps the original safely on file, and later guides the person settling your estate through each legal step. This is non-contentious work: preparing the will, opening the succession, and handling the paperwork that transfers property to your heirs. If a succession is contested, that dispute goes before an avocat in the Cour supérieure at the Palais de justice de Montréal, 1 rue Notre-Dame Est.

What's the difference between a notarial will and other wills in Quebec?

Quebec law recognizes three forms of will: the notarial will, the holograph will, and the will made in the presence of witnesses. A notarial will takes effect without court verification, because a notary draws it up, signs it with you, and keeps the original. A holograph will or a will made before witnesses works differently. After death it must be probated, which Quebec calls verification, either by a notary or by the Superior Court, before anyone can act on it. That extra step takes time and adds cost, which is one reason many people choose the notarial form.

Who settles a Quebec estate, and how?

The person who settles a Quebec estate is called the liquidator, a role once known as the testamentary executor. The liquidator identifies the heirs, prepares an inventory, pays the debts, and then distributes what's left according to the will. If there's no will, the estate passes according to the rules in the Civil Code of Québec. A notary can run the required will searches, confirm the liquidator's authority, and prepare the declaration of transmission that moves a house or condo into the heirs' names. Own a home in Westmount or a condo in Pointe-Claire? That transfer runs through a notary.

How do you choose a wills and estates firm in Montréal?

Start with a notary who handles successions day to day, ask whether they'll keep your original will in safekeeping, and confirm how they coordinate with an avocat if a dispute goes to court. Ask for the cost of the work in writing before you sign. Montréal firms serve the whole island, from downtown out to Kirkland, Dorval, and Dollard-Des Ormeaux, so there's usually one near you. You can confirm any notary's standing on the Chambre des notaires du Québec. Browse the wills, estates & trusts firms in Montréal below.

Agnieszka Swierzbinska, Avocat

1 lawyer · Est. 2015

This is a solo law practice in downtown Montréal run by Agnieszka Swierzbinska, who has been a member of the Barreau du Québec since December 2015 and of the Law Society of Ontario since 2019. The firm is a general pr…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsFamily LawFamily LawImmigration LawImmigration Law

Alepin Gauthier Avocats

4 lawyers · Est. 1978

Alepin Gauthier is a family-run law firm based in Laval, Quebec, founded in 1978 by François Alepin. It has grown to more than 120 team members across four Quebec offices (Laval, Vieux-Montréal, downtown Montreal, and…

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawFamily LawFamily LawBankruptcy & InsolvencyBankruptcy & InsolvencyCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Alexandre Ethier Avocats is a Montreal boutique law firm with more than a decade of experience in civil litigation and business law, serving both individuals and companies. Led by Alexandre Ethier, the firm handles co…

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Allan J. Gold

1 lawyer

Allan J. Gold is a Westmount, Quebec solo law practice focused on elder law, civil law, and commercial-corporate matters, run by attorney Allan J. Gold, who has practised law in Quebec since the mid-1970s. The practic…

Wills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Allen Madelin Avocats (AMLEX) is a Montreal law firm on boulevard Saint-Laurent offering family law, estates law, civil law, business law, employment law, and real estate law services. The firm has been recognized as …

Family LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate Law

Altro LLP

9 lawyers · Est. 1988

Altro LLP is a cross-border tax and estate planning firm founded in 1988 that serves Canadian and American clients from offices in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver as well as several U.S. Sun Belt states. Its…

Tax LawTax LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsReal Estate LawReal Estate LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate Law

BabaLégal is a notarial practice based in Montreal, Quebec, offering real estate transactions, estate settlement, wills and powers of attorney, uncontested procedures such as marriages and civil unions, and business a…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Bélanger Barkati Notaires

3 lawyers · Est. 1975

Bélanger Barkati Notaires is a boutique notarial practice in Old Montreal specializing in real estate and co-ownership law, including divided, undivided, and share co-ownership, along with wills, powers of attorney, a…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Bélanger, Brunet

1 lawyer · Est. 1954

Bélanger, Brunet is a Montreal law firm established in 1954, handling family law, criminal law, employment law, business law, civil and real estate law, administrative law, and bankruptcy and insolvency matters for bo…

Family LawFamily LawCriminal DefenceCriminal DefenceEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate Law

Bessette Avocats

11 lawyers

Bessette Avocats is a boutique Montreal law firm advising businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals, both in negotiations and litigation. Its practice spans civil and commercial litigation, employment law, business…

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawFamily LawFamily Law

Bourassa Notaires

11 lawyers · Est. 2013

Bourassa Notaires is a Quebec notarial practice offering personalized legal services since 2013, with locations across the province. Its team of notaires and legal technicians handles real estate law, wills and estate…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate Law

Bourdon Avocats

2 lawyers · Est. 1984

Bourdon Avocats is a Montreal family law firm founded in 1984, offering mediation, negotiation, collaborative law, and litigation services for divorce, separation, custody, child and spousal support, and division of p…

Family LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsReal Estate LawReal Estate Law

Christine El Nouni is an independent notary practicing privately in Quebec since 2020. Her practice focuses on estate planning, marriage contracts, and civil wedding officiation.

Wills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

CorpMed Legal

1 lawyer

CorpMed Legal is a Canadian law firm that focuses on tax, corporate and commercial law for healthcare professionals and small to medium-sized businesses. It offers incorporation, estate planning and general corporate …

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

David | Sauvé LLP

9 lawyers

David | Sauvé LLP is a bilingual boutique litigation firm with offices in Ottawa and Montréal, serving clients across Canada and North America. The firm's lawyers handle civil, commercial, and administrative litigatio…

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsPersonal InjuryPersonal Injury

De Louya Markakis Avocats is a Montreal law firm practising tax law, business and commercial law, civil and commercial litigation, estate law, real estate law and intellectual property. The firm says it launched one o…

Tax LawTax LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Demers avocate

1 lawyer

Demers avocate is a Montreal firm focused on litigation and dispute resolution in estates, personal protection and family law. Founded by Sylvie Demers after ten years at a large Montreal firm, it handles contested su…

Wills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsFamily LawFamily Law

Derome, avocats

1 lawyer · Est. 1995

Derome, avocats is a Montreal firm founded in 1995 that has represented individuals and businesses for more than 35 years in civil, commercial, and corporate law. Its practice areas include real estate, construction, …

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawConstruction LawConstruction LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Dessureault Herbert is a Montreal law firm practising family and estate law, handling divorce and separation, parenting time and custody, spousal and child support, estate litigation, and youth protection (DPJ) matter…

Family LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Deveau Dufour Mottet Avocats s.e.n.c.r.l. is a Quebec law firm that has operated for more than fifty years, with offices in Montréal, Laval and Gatineau and a presence across the Couronne Nord, Lanaudière, Laurentides…

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawFamily LawFamily Law

Devine Schachter Polak

18 lawyers · Est. 2000

Devine Schachter Polak is a Montreal family law firm founded in 2000 and based in Westmount, focused on matrimonial and family law together with related estates and successions work. Its lawyers represent clients in d…

Family LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Dunton Rainville

138 lawyers · Est. 1954

Dunton Rainville is a full-service Quebec law and notarial firm founded in 1954, with roughly 300 staff including about 135 avocats and notaires. It has offices in Montréal, Laval, Saint-Hubert (Longueuil), Joliette, …

Business & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawTax LawTax LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawConstruction LawConstruction Law

Dupuis Laliberté Notaires

1 lawyer · Est. 1979

Dupuis Laliberté Notaires is a notarial practice in the Rosemont-Petite-Patrie borough of Montreal, established in 1979. It handles real estate transactions, wills, powers of attorney, estate settlements, and business…

Wills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Fiore Corrado Cerrone is a Quebec law firm practising civil and family law. Its lawyers handle family law matters, as well as wills and estates, and civil litigation.

Family LawFamily LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution