Suppose your client, Bob, owns an operating company, a cottage, and a large RRIF. The plan is clean on paper. At the second death the deemed disposition and the registered account land on one final return, and the executor has to find the money somewhere. Insurance is how that bill gets paid without a forced sale. We size it, place it, and report back to you.
What we do for your client, and what we do not
We are an independent life insurance advisory led by two Chartered Professional Accountants, CPA, CA. We take the file you describe, model the liability in plain numbers, and structure the coverage so the proceeds land where your plan needs them: in the estate, in a holding company with a Capital Dividend Account credit, or with a named beneficiary outside probate. We coordinate with the client's accountant on the numbers and with you on the drafting. We do not touch the rest of the relationship. You remain the client's lawyer, and the introduction should make you look good, not put you at risk.
The files that usually come to us from estate lawyers
- A will review where the deemed disposition at death will exceed the liquid assets in the estate. See life insurance to pay estate taxes.
- A family business where one child will run the company and the others need to be treated fairly. See estate equalization.
- An estate freeze where the frozen value creates a known tax liability that should be funded rather than left to the next generation.
- A shareholders' agreement with a buy-sell clause and no funding behind it.
- A charitable bequest the client wants to make without shrinking what the family receives.
This is likely relevant if
- You draft wills, trusts, or shareholders' agreements for clients with private company shares, real estate, or large registered accounts.
- You have referred insurance before and did not get the reporting or the coordination you expected.
- You want the insurance handled by people who can read a T2 and a trust deed, and who will tell you plainly when insurance is not the answer.
Start with an anonymous file
You do not need to name the client to begin. With the structure, the approximate values, the ages, and the goal, we build a proposal that shows the approach and the numbers before anyone is identified. You decide whether and how to bring us in. This is the same process we use with CPAs and portfolio managers, and our process page shows how an engagement runs from there. Doug Leyland and Jordan Matters are Chartered Professional Accountants, CPA, CA, and Private Client Estate and Succession Advisors.
Common questions
How does a referral from an estate lawyer work?
You describe the file, anonymously if you prefer. We prepare a proposal showing the liability and the coverage that would fund it. If the client proceeds, we handle underwriting and placement, keep you informed at each step, and confirm the final structure in writing so it matches your drafting.
Will you contact my client directly?
Only when you have introduced us and the client has agreed to proceed. We do not market to your clients, and we do not offer services outside the insurance piece we were brought in to handle.
Can insurance proceeds bypass probate in Ontario?
Proceeds paid to a named beneficiary other than the estate pass outside the estate and are not subject to Ontario estate administration tax. Proceeds paid to the estate, or to a corporation, follow different rules. Where the money should land depends on what the will needs it to do, which is why we work from your draft rather than a standard form.
What if my client is not insurable?
We say so early. Some files are solved by insuring a spouse or a younger shareholder, some by a joint policy, and some are not insurance cases at all. A quick honest read is part of what a specialist is for.
