Compare your options
There is more than one way to get probate done in Ontario. Some are free. Some cost thousands. Here is an honest look at all of them — side by side.
| What you get | Blank court forms (free) | Forms + a written guide (about $19) | Static PDF kit (about $40) | ProbatePrep ($199 / $449) | Fixed-fee probate lawyer ($1,475–$2,975) | Full-service estate settlement (1.75% of the estate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it costs | $0 | About $19 | About $40 | $199 small estate / $449 standard — flat | $1,475–$2,975 | 1.75% of the estate — at least about $21,000 |
| Who fills in the forms | You do, alone | You do, following the guide | You do, typing into templates | We fill them in from your answers | The law office does | They do |
| Estate tax worked out for you | No — you do the math | No — you do the math | No — you do the math | Yes — with the math shown | Yes | Yes |
| Errors caught before you file | No | No | No | Yes — every answer is checked against the court’s rules | Yes — the law office reviews it | Yes |
| Papers for the people who inherit, prepared | No | No | No | Yes — letters and a tracking sheet | Yes | Yes |
| Filing steps for your courthouse | No | Generic steps only | Generic steps only | Yes — written for your courthouse | Handled for you | Handled for you |
| Legal advice included | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| For complicated or contested estates | No | No | No | No — we tell you to see a lawyer, before you pay | Ask first — complex work can cost extra | Yes |
| If the court sends it back | You fix it yourself | You fix it yourself | You fix it yourself | If the error is in our documents, we fix them and rebuild your package free | The law office deals with it | They deal with it |
All prices shown before sales tax. Outside prices are from those services' own published price pages — the $19 kit, the $1,475–$2,975 fixed-fee menu, the $40 PDF kit, and the 1.75% (minimum ~$21,000) service — last checked 20 July 2026. Their prices can change; check before you decide.
Prices for the other options are what those services published, checked in July 2026. They can change. Ours are flat and on the page: no consult call, no quote.
When a lawyer is the right answer
Sometimes the honest answer is a lawyer: no will, a child who inherits, a family fight, a handwritten will. Our free questions look for these first. If we find one, we stop and say so — before you pay anything.