If that's you, you're in good company. You've probably thought about it more than once. Maybe you started a list and it's still sitting in a drawer, or you keep meaning to ask what actually happens to the house.
Canadian Estate Club is where Canadians come to get this sorted, one stage at a time, in plain language. Everything here is taught by Nicole Garton, TEP, President and General Counsel of Heritage Trust Company Inc.
Start with the class. Nicole walks you through the 5 mistakes she sees most often, and the 5 stages that fix them.
Move from estate planning uncertainty to a clear, organized plan.
Half of the country has no estate plan in place.
The 5 Biggest Estate Planning Mistakes Canadians Make
and the 5-Stage System That Helps You Avoid Them
Nicole walks you through the five mistakes she sees most often in Canadian estates, and what to do instead.
You'll leave knowing where your own plan stands right now, what's missing, and what to deal with first. No legal background needed. Nothing to prepare beforehand.
Taught by a lawyer. Built just for Canadians.
Under an hour. $19.97.
The Peace of Mind Estate Planning System™
Five stages, followed in order. Each one gets you ready for the next.
Stage 1: Understand
Learn what estate planning actually is, which documents matter, and what each one does. By the end, you know what you're looking at.
Stage 2: Organize
Gather it all in one place. Assets, debts, accounts, insurance, identification, legal documents, digital accounts, passwords. By the end, what was scattered is together.
Stage 3: Reflect
Decide what you want your plan to do. Who's in charge. Who receives what. What matters to you beyond money. By the end, you're working from decisions instead of options.
Stage 4: Act
Turn it into signed documents. You work with the right professionals, finalize what you need, line up your beneficiary designations, and tell the right people where things are. By the end, your plan exists.
Stage 5: Protect
Keep it current. Set a review schedule, update your inventory, watch for life changes. By the end, your plan stays accurate.
The order matters. You can't organize what you don't understand, and you can't act on what you haven't decided yet.
What's inside the System
The System is self-paced. Video lessons for each stage, plus the worksheets, templates and checklists that go with them. You work through it on your own schedule. Nothing to attend, nothing to keep up with.
There are also sections for situations that need extra care. Blended families. Beneficiaries with disabilities or vulnerabilities. First Nations and Indian Act considerations. Business ownership. Cross-border assets. Digital accounts.
If you've been named executor and aren't sure what that involves, that's covered too.
Everything here is education. It gets you organized and clear so your time with a lawyer is focused and useful. It isn't legal, tax, or financial advice, and it doesn't replace your own professionals.
Hi, I'm Nicole Garton
I'm an estate lawyer, and I've spent more than 25 years helping Canadian families get their affairs in order. In 2018 I co-founded Heritage Trust Company Inc., a regulated trust company, where I'm President and General Counsel.
I've sat with a lot of families during the worst week of their lives. What separates the ones who cope from the ones who struggle is almost never money. It's whether somebody wrote things down while they still could.
I built Canadian Estate Club so you wouldn't have to figure this out alone.
Two ways to start
Want to see where you stand?
The free Starter Kit gives you a two-minute Gap Score, the five core documents on one checklist, an inventory sheet, and a guide for the family conversation you've been putting off.
Want someone to walk you through it?
The masterclass covers the five mistakes and the five stages, taught by Nicole.
Peace of Mind Estate Planning for Canadians
Nicole's book walks through the same five stages in plain language, written just for Canadians.
Coming soon.
The free companion resources are already waiting for you in the Starter Kit.
Your Estate Matters Podcast
Nicole's podcast, where she answers the questions Canadians actually ask about wills, executors, probate, and what happens when families disagree.
Free to listen, and a good place to start if you'd rather listen than read.
You've been meaning to do this for a while.
The masterclass is the easiest first step. Nothing to prepare, and you'll leave knowing exactly where your plan stands.