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Estate Planning in Victoria, British Columbia

Plan your estate with Dan Anders, a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) and CFP® professional.

By Dan Anders, TEP, CFP® · Updated October 2026

Estate planning is arranging your financial and legal affairs so your wishes are carried out if you become incapable or when you die. It can mean less tax, lower probate costs and less stress for the people you leave behind. If you’re looking for estate planning in Victoria, British Columbia, you need two kinds of help: a lawyer or notary to prepare the legal documents, and a planner to make sure the financial strategy behind them works.

I’m Dan Anders, a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) and CFP® professional based in Victoria. Since 1983, estate preservation and business succession have been at the heart of my work. I design the financial side of your estate plan and work alongside your lawyer or notary and your accountant to put it in place. We guide, you decide.
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Why clients choose me for estate planning
  • Estate expertise: Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) through STEP Canada, plus CFP® certification from FP Canada™
  • 40+ years of experience with estate preservation, tax and business succession planning
  • The financial side, done properly: beneficiaries, probate, tax at death, insurance and trusts, coordinated with your legal and tax advisors
  • Your choice of how you pay: fee-only or commission-based, explained in writing before any work begins
  • Serving Greater Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories
On this page:

What Is Estate Planning in British Columbia?

Estate planning in BC is deciding, in advance, who will receive your assets, who will manage your affairs, and who will make decisions for you if you can’t. A good estate plan also reduces the tax and probate costs your estate pays, and gives your family the money and the instructions they need to settle things smoothly.
Key facts about estate planning in BC
  • Main law: BC’s Wills, Estates and Succession Act (WESA) governs wills and estates
  • Minimum age: you can make a will in BC from age 16
  • Marriage: under WESA, getting married no longer cancels an existing will
  • Probate fees: $6 per $1,000 of estate value from $25,000 to $50,000, then $14 per $1,000 above $50,000, plus a $200 court filing fee
  • Incapacity documents: an enduring power of attorney covers finances; a representation agreement covers health and personal care
  • No will? WESA decides who inherits, which may not match your wishes
Estate Planning

What's Included in an Estate Plan in BC?

A complete estate plan is more than a will. Here’s what it usually includes, and who prepares each part:
Part of the plan What it does Who prepares it
Will Names your executor and says who receives your estate Your lawyer or notary
Enduring power of attorney Lets someone you choose manage your finances if you become incapable Your lawyer or notary
Representation agreement Lets someone you choose make health and personal care decisions for you Your lawyer or notary
Advance directive Records your consent to, or refusal of, specific health care in advance Your lawyer, notary or you (BC provides a form)
Beneficiary designations Name who receives your RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, pensions and life insurance You, with planning advice
Trusts Hold assets for beneficiaries, such as minor children or a family member with special needs Drafted by your lawyer; designed with your planner and accountant
Insurance and tax strategy Makes sure your estate can pay its taxes and debts and leaves what you intend Your planner, with your accountant
Part of the plan
What it does
Who prepares it
Will
Names your executor and says who receives your estate
Your lawyer or notary
Enduring power of attorney
Lets someone you choose manage your finances if you become incapable
Your lawyer or notary
Representation agreement
Lets someone you choose make health and personal care decisions for you
Your lawyer or notary
Advance directive
Records your consent to, or refusal of, specific health care in advance
Your lawyer, notary or you (BC provides a form)
Beneficiary designations
Name who receives your RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs, pensions and life insurance
You, with planning advice
Trusts
Hold assets for beneficiaries, such as minor children or a family member with special needs
Drafted by your lawyer; designed with your planner and accountant
Insurance and tax strategy
Makes sure your estate can pay its taxes and debts and leaves what you intend
Your planner, with your accountant
My role is the strategy behind these documents: making sure your beneficiaries, insurance, tax and trust decisions work together, then coordinating with your lawyer or notary, who prepares the legal documents.

Who Needs Estate Planning, and Why It Matters

Who needs estate planning in Victoria?

Anyone with assets, dependents or clear wishes benefits from an estate plan. It’s especially important if you:
  • Have children or grandchildren, particularly minors or a family member with special needs
  • Are a senior planning for possible incapacity, care costs and passing on your estate
  • Own a business or a professional corporation
  • Have a blended family, a second marriage or a separation
  • Own property in Victoria or elsewhere, including recreational or rental property
  • Have significant RRSPs, RRIFs, investments or life insurance
I work with families and business owners throughout Greater Victoria, including Saanich, Oak Bay, Langford, Colwood and Sidney, across Vancouver Island, and throughout British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

Estate planning for seniors in Victoria

For seniors, estate planning is as much about the years ahead as it is about what happens after death. Key priorities often include:
  • Incapacity planning: an enduring power of attorney for finances and a representation agreement for health and personal care, made while you’re able to decide
  • Care costs: making sure your income and savings can cover home care or assisted living
  • Probate and tax: reviewing beneficiary designations, and for Canadians aged 65 and over, whether an alter ego or joint partner trust makes sense
  • Updating old documents: wills and designations written decades ago may no longer reflect your family or the law

Why is estate planning important in BC?

  • Your wishes, not the default rules: without a will, WESA sets out who inherits, and a court must appoint someone to administer your estate
  • Less tax and probate cost: planning can legally reduce what passes through probate and manage the tax due at death
  • Protection if you become incapable: without an enduring power of attorney or representation agreement, your family may need to go to court to manage your affairs
  • Fewer family disputes: clear instructions reduce conflict. Under WESA, a spouse or child can also apply to court to change a will they believe doesn’t provide for them adequately, and good planning takes that into account
  • A legacy that lasts: estate planning is legacy planning, making sure what you’ve built supports the people and causes you care about

BC Probate Fees Explained

Probate is the court process that confirms your will and your executor’s authority. In BC, probate fees are based on the gross value of your BC assets that pass through your estate, before debts:
Estate value Probate fee
First $25,000 No fee
$25,000 to $50,000 $6 per $1,000
Over $50,000 $14 per $1,000 (1.4%)
Plus A $200 court filing fee (for estates over $25,000)
Estate value
Probate fee
First $25,000
No fee
$25,000 to $50,000
$6 per $1,000
Over $50,000
$14 per $1,000 (1.4%)
Plus
A $200 court filing fee (for estates over $25,000)

Example: a $500,000 estate pays about $6,450 in probate fees, plus the $200 filing fee.

Legal ways to reduce what passes through probate (each has trade-offs we’ll review together):
  • Beneficiary designations on RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs and life insurance, which generally pass directly to the named beneficiary outside your estate
  • Joint ownership with right of survivorship, which has real risks: loss of control, exposure to the other owner’s creditors or relationship breakdown, and BC rules that can treat the asset as held for your estate unless a gift was clearly intended
  • Alter ego and joint partner trusts, available to Canadians aged 65 and over
  • Gifts during your lifetime, considering tax and your own future needs
Avoiding probate doesn’t avoid tax. RRSPs and RRIFs that pass to a beneficiary can still create a tax bill for your estate, which is why probate and tax planning have to work together.

Taxes at Death in Canada: What Your Estate May Owe

Canada has no inheritance tax, but your estate files a final tax return, and that return can include significant tax:
  • Deemed disposition: at death, you’re treated as having sold your capital property, such as investments or a cottage, at fair market value. Any accrued capital gains are taxed on your final return. Your principal residence may be exempt.
  • RRSPs and RRIFs: the full value is generally included in your income in the year of death, unless it rolls over to a surviving spouse or partner, or another qualifying beneficiary.
  • Spousal rollover: assets left to a spouse or partner, directly or through a qualifying spousal trust, can generally defer the tax until the surviving spouse sells them or dies.
  • TFSAs: the account’s value at death passes to the beneficiary tax-free.
  • Life insurance: proceeds are paid tax-free to named beneficiaries and can give your estate the cash to pay taxes and debts without selling assets. Learn more about life insurance in Victoria.
  • Final return deadline: if death occurs between January 1 and October 31, the final return is due April 30 of the following year; if it occurs in November or December, it’s due six months after the date of death.
Planning ahead can also shape how your RRSPs and RRIFs are drawn down during retirement. Learn more about retirement planning in Victoria.
Strong Wealth Management

Estate Planning for Business Owners in BC

If you own a business, it may be your largest asset, and the hardest one to pass on. Estate planning for business owners in BC often includes:
  • Succession planning: who will run or own the business, and when
  • Shareholder agreements: what happens to your shares if you die, become disabled or want out
  • Corporate-owned life insurance: funding a buyout or covering tax at death
  • Estate freezes and family trusts: concepts that can limit future tax growth and bring the next generation in
These strategies involve tax and legal rules, so I design them with your accountant and lawyer. Business succession has been a core part of my work for over 40 years.

My Role vs Your Lawyer's and Accountant's Role

Estate planning works best as a team. Here’s who does what:
Estate planning advisor (my role) Lawyer or notary Accountant
Main job Designs the financial strategy and coordinates the plan Prepares the legal documents Handles tax filings and corporate tax
Typical work Beneficiaries, probate reduction, tax at death, insurance, trust strategy, business succession Wills, powers of attorney, representation agreements, trust deeds Final returns, estate freezes, corporate structures
Credentials to look for TEP, CFP® Lawyer (Law Society of BC) or BC notary CPA
Estate planning advisor (my role)
Lawyer or notary
Accountant
Main job
Designs the financial strategy and coordinates the plan
Prepares the legal documents
Handles tax filings and corporate tax
Typical work
Beneficiaries, probate reduction, tax at death, insurance, trust strategy, business succession
Wills, powers of attorney, representation agreements, trust deeds
Final returns, estate freezes, corporate structures
Credentials to look for
TEP, CFP®
Lawyer (Law Society of BC) or BC notary
CPA

In short: your lawyer or notary makes the plan legally valid; I help make sure it’s financially sound.

Already have a will? Get a second look at whether your estate plan still works.
Book a Free Estate Plan Review

How the Estate Planning Process Works: "We Guide, You Decide"

  1. A free estate planning consultation. We talk about your family, your assets, your wishes and your concerns. No obligation.
  2. Gathering your information. Your current will (if you have one), account statements, insurance policies, property and business details, and beneficiary designations.
  3. Your estate strategy. I review how your estate would pass today, estimate the tax and probate costs, and recommend improvements in writing.
  4. Walking through the plan. We go through every recommendation and the reasoning behind it. You decide what to act on.
  5. Working with your advisors. I coordinate with your lawyer or notary to prepare or update your documents, and with your accountant on tax.
  6. Keeping it current. We review your plan as your life, your assets and the rules change.
Start With a Free Estate Planning Consultation
Victoria Clients

When Should You Start or Update Your Estate Plan?

Start now if you have assets, dependents or wishes you want respected. It’s easier to plan while you’re healthy and able to make decisions.
Review your plan when:
  • You marry: in BC, marriage no longer cancels your will, so update it to reflect your new spouse.
  • You separate or divorce: under WESA, gifts to a former spouse in your will are generally revoked, but beneficiary designations on insurance and registered plans are not automatically changed. Update them yourself.
  • You have a child or grandchild.
  • You buy, sell or inherit significant assets, including property or a business.
  • Your executor, attorney or a beneficiary dies or can no longer act.
  • You move to or from another province.
  • Tax or estate rules change, or several years have passed since your last review.

What Does Estate Planning Cost in Victoria, BC?

The cost of estate planning in Victoria usually has three parts:
  1. Legal documents: your lawyer or notary charges for preparing your will, powers of attorney, representation agreements and any trusts. Ask them for a quote.
  2. Estate planning advice: with me, the first consultation is free. You choose fee-only planning, quoted in writing before work begins, or commission-based advice with no direct fee. See costs and compare both options on my fee-only financial planner page.
  3. Probate fees at death: set by the BC formula above. Planning can reduce them.
Getting the strategy right before your documents are drafted helps make sure your will, beneficiary designations, insurance and tax plan all work together.
Certified Financial Planner

How to Choose an Estate Planning Professional in BC

How to choose the right estate planning help for you:
  • Look for estate credentials: a TEP (search the STEP Canada member directory) and a CFP® (search FP Canada’s “Find a Planner” directory).
  • Use a lawyer or notary for legal documents: they’re the professionals who prepare wills, powers of attorney and representation agreements in BC.
  • Ask about experience: especially with situations like yours, such as business owners, blended families or significant registered savings.
  • Ask how they’re paid: fee-only, commission-based or fee-based, in writing.
  • Expect coordination: your planner, lawyer and accountant should work together, not separately.
  • Expect clear recommendations: you should understand what’s recommended and why.
  • Look for no pressure: a good advisor gives you time to decide.

What Clients Say

I really like Dan's patient and thorough approach. We were in the room for 2 1/2 hours while going over every detail and question that my clients could possibly ask. The financial planning process made this decision easy for them.
R.H., Vancouver, BC
I was very impressed by the concise manner Dan dealt with my estate planning… You were attentive to my concerns and addressed them in your recommendation.
V.L., North Vancouver, BC
Dan was able to assess the client's situation with a knowledge and confidence that really resounded with my clients.
E.P., Vancouver, BC

Meet Your Planner: Dan Anders, TEP, CFP®

Quick facts
  • Planner: Dan Anders, CFP®, TEP, Smith Manoeuvre Certified Professional™
  • Experience: In financial planning since 1983, first in Alberta and on the West Coast since 1999
  • Estate focus: Estate preservation, tax at death and business succession
  • Office: 3450 Uptown Blvd, Victoria, BC V8Z 0B9
  • Clients served in: Greater Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories
  • Ways to work together: Fee-only or commission-based
  • First consultation: Complimentary, no obligation
  • Phone: +1 (604) 318-9161
I entered financial planning in 1983 in Alberta and moved my practice to the West Coast in 1999, keeping many of my Alberta clients. Over four decades I’ve worked with successful families, small business owners and the professionals who advise them, mostly on the hardest problems: excess taxation, estate preservation and business succession. Other financial advisors also bring me in as an estate planner for their own clients. Read more about me.
My credentials:
  • TEP (Trust and Estate Practitioner): granted through STEP Canada, part of the international professional body for trust and estate specialists.
  • CFP® (Certified Financial Planner): certified by FP Canada™, bound by its Code of Ethics to put the client’s interests first. Learn more about working with a Certified Financial Planner in Victoria.
  • Smith Manoeuvre Certified Professional™

As heard on: Tax Talk Podcast, Episode 29, “Better Mortgage Insurance Protection” (September 2023).

Verify me yourself. Search my name in the STEP Canada member directory to confirm my TEP designation, and in FP Canada’s “Find a Planner” directory to confirm my CFP® certification. (See all my financial planning services.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Estate planning in BC is deciding in advance who receives your assets, who manages your affairs, and who makes decisions for you if you can’t. It includes a will, incapacity documents, beneficiary designations and a strategy to reduce tax and probate costs, under BC’s Wills, Estates and Succession Act.
A complete estate plan usually includes a will, an enduring power of attorney for finances, a representation agreement for health and personal care, beneficiary designations, any trusts, and an insurance and tax strategy so your estate can pay what it owes.
Without a plan, WESA decides who inherits, your family may need to go to court if you become incapable, and your estate may pay more tax and probate than necessary. A plan puts your wishes in writing and reduces cost and conflict.
Anyone with assets, dependents or clear wishes. It’s especially important for parents, seniors, business owners, blended families, property owners and people with significant RRSPs, RRIFs, investments or life insurance.
As soon as you have assets, dependents or wishes you want respected. In BC, you can make a will from age 16. It’s easiest to plan while you’re healthy and able to make decisions.
After marriage, separation or divorce, the birth of a child, buying or selling significant assets or a business, the death of an executor or beneficiary, a move to another province, or when several years have passed since your last review.
Start with a free consultation. We’ll review your family, assets and wishes, estimate how your estate would pass today, and recommend a strategy. I then coordinate with your lawyer or notary, who prepares the legal documents.
For the financial strategy, look for a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) or CFP® professional. You can verify credentials in the STEP Canada and FP Canada directories. For legal documents, work with a BC lawyer or notary.
No. In BC, wills, powers of attorney and representation agreements are prepared by lawyers or notaries. I design the financial strategy behind them, including beneficiaries, probate, tax and insurance, and work alongside your lawyer or notary to put the plan in place.
Common strategies include beneficiary designations on registered plans and life insurance, joint ownership with right of survivorship, alter ego or joint partner trusts for people aged 65 and over, and lifetime gifts. Each has trade-offs and tax effects that should be reviewed before you act.
WESA sets out who inherits your estate, which may not match your wishes, and a court must appoint an administrator to manage it. That can mean more delay, cost and stress for your family.
Choose someone you trust who is organized, willing to act and able to deal with paperwork, deadlines and family members. Many people also name an alternate executor in case the first can’t act. If your estate is complex, it can help to discuss the choice with your lawyer and planner.
It has three parts: legal fees for documents from your lawyer or notary, planning advice (with me, a free first consultation and then fee-only or commission-based), and probate fees at death, which follow the BC formula and can be reduced with planning.

Ready to Talk?

Book a complimentary, no-obligation estate planning consultation in Victoria. We’ll look at how your estate would pass today, talk through your goals, and you can decide whether working together makes sense.
Book Your Free Consultation
Call +1 (604) 318-9161
3450 Uptown Blvd, Victoria, BC V8Z 0B9
Sources (accessed October 2026): Wills, estates and intestacy rules from BC’s Wills, Estates and Succession Act (WESA) and Clicklaw. Incapacity planning documents from the Government of British Columbia. BC probate fees from the Probate Fee Act. Deemed disposition, RRSP/RRIF and spousal rollover rules from the Income Tax Act and the Canada Revenue Agency. TEP designation from STEP Canada. CFP® certification from FP Canada.
This page is general information, not legal, tax or personal financial advice. Estate and tax rules change, and every family’s situation is different. Legal documents should be prepared by a BC lawyer or notary, and tax matters reviewed with your accountant. Insurance and investment products are provided through licensed product providers, and any commission is disclosed before purchase.