Dual wills that keep more of your estate out of probate
In Ontario and British Columbia, a primary and secondary will can let private-corporation shares, shareholder loans, and personal effects pass without probate — reducing the fees your estate pays. WillCraft.me is one of the few online platforms that builds them for you.
The idea
Two wills, working together
A dual-will plan divides your estate between two coordinated wills. Your primary will covers assets that have to go through probate — like real estate in your sole name and most bank accounts. Your secondary will covers assets that can pass without probate, such as shares in a private corporation, shareholder loans, and personal belongings.
Because the assets in your secondary will are never submitted to the court for probate, they are left out when probate fees are calculated. For a business owner, that exclusion can be worth thousands of dollars.
Why it matters
What a dual will can save
Ontario's Estate Administration Tax is roughly 1.5% of the value of probated assets. British Columbia charges probate fees on a similar percentage basis. Moving eligible assets into a secondary will removes them from that calculation:
- Private-corporation shares can pass outside probate
- Shareholder loans and intercompany balances stay out of the estate total
- Personal effects and certain other assets avoid the probate calculation
- Your executor still receives clear instructions for both wills
Probate rules and rates are set by each province and change over time. WillCraft.me provides templates and guidance, not legal or tax advice — for a complex estate, confirm the structure with a professional.
With WillCraft.me
Dual wills, included in the standard package
Most online will services generate a single will. WillCraft.me can produce a coordinated primary and secondary will for Ontario and British Columbia as part of the same flat-price package — alongside your asset schedule, executor instructions, and powers of attorney.
- Available for Ontario and British Columbia
- Generated from the same guided questionnaire — no extra tier or add-on fee
- Coordinated wording so the two wills do not revoke each other
- Asset schedule and executor instructions that account for both wills
Built for business owners
A will platform that understands business owners
Owners of private corporations are exactly who dual wills are designed for — and most online will services simply can't help them. Because WillCraft.me supports dual wills for Ontario and British Columbia, it can structure your estate so that private-corporation shares, shareholder loans, and intercompany balances pass outside probate, while your primary will handles everything else.
- Keep business assets out of the probate calculation
- Coordinate a primary and secondary will that work together
- Asset-aware executor instructions for your business holdings
- The same flat price as any other WillCraft.me package
For incorporated professionals and small-business owners, the probate savings often far exceed the cost of the will itself.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a dual will (primary and secondary will)?
- A dual-will plan splits your estate across two wills: a primary will for assets that must go through probate, and a secondary will for assets that can pass without it — such as private-corporation shares, shareholder loans, and personal effects. Because the secondary-will assets are not submitted to the court, they are not counted when probate fees are calculated.
- How do dual wills reduce probate fees in Ontario?
- Ontario charges an Estate Administration Tax (commonly called probate tax) of roughly 1.5% on the value of assets that go through probate. By moving eligible assets into a secondary will that does not require probate, those assets are excluded from the calculation — which for business owners can save thousands of dollars.
- Do dual wills work in British Columbia too?
- Yes. British Columbia also charges probate fees on a percentage basis, so a primary/secondary will structure can reduce them in the same way. WillCraft.me supports dual wills for both Ontario and British Columbia.
- Who benefits most from a dual will?
- Owners of private corporations and people with significant personal property or shareholder loans benefit the most, because those assets often do not require probate. If your estate is mostly bank accounts and real estate in your sole name, a single will is usually sufficient.
- Can I create a dual will online with WillCraft.me?
- Yes. When you build your will for Ontario or British Columbia, WillCraft.me can generate a coordinated primary and secondary will as part of the standard package — something most online will platforms do not offer.