An online Islamic will is enough for a simple estate. A business, a blended family, or a fight you can already see coming is a different job. Two Ontario firms draft that will inside a law practice: Lerners Estate and Shuter Law. Neither one claims to be your scholar.
Ontario's default rules would give a surviving spouse a $350,000 preferential share before children divide the rest. That is not the faraid split most Muslim families intend. A will is how you replace that default. Start with Islamic wills in Canada if you are still deciding whether you need a lawyer at all.
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Which Firm Fits
Lerners is the larger practice: 13 lawyers in wills, trusts, and estates, with offices in London, Toronto, Strathroy, and Kitchener-Waterloo. The Islamic work is led by associate Sanan Mirza. The firm says it does not give religious advice. You bring your own scholar if you want the distribution schedule checked.
Shuter Law is a dedicated Islamic wills practice in North York and Ajax. It writes about the hard cases in public: stepchildren through the one-third bequest, insurance used to buy out a business so the fixed shares still work, and clauses aimed at Family Law Act elections and dependant's relief claims. A free 15-minute consultation starts the file. An imam can be consulted for a specific engagement. That is not a standing board.
Side by Side
| Item | Lerners | Shuter Law |
|---|---|---|
| Where | London, Toronto, Strathroy, Kitchener-Waterloo | North York and Ajax |
| Practice | 13-lawyer estates group inside a full-service firm | Islamic wills inside a family-law practice |
| Named lawyer | Sanan (Sunny) Mirza | The firm, not one published scholar |
| Religious authority | Disclaimed. Bring your own scholar | Optional compliance statement. Imam consult is ad hoc |
| Hard cases | High-value, business, and contested estates | Stepchildren, business buyouts, Family Law Act risk |
| Price | Quoted after engagement. Not published | Quoted after a free 15-minute call. Not published |
| Best for | Estates that may be litigated | GTA families who want faraid drafted against Ontario challenges |
Lerners publishes the classical shares in its guidance: a husband inherits one-half, falling to one-quarter if there are children; a wife inherits one-quarter, falling to one-eighth; parents can take one-sixth each; children share the residue with a son taking twice a daughter's share. That is education, not a fatwa on your family.
When an Online Will Is the Better Buy
Lawyer drafts cost more than the online tools, and neither firm prints a number. Wassiya is about $40 CAD for the will, or $56 for a package with a power of attorney. MyAmana is $89 for the will and $179 if you add powers of attorney. Manzil also offers an Islamic will. Those products name fewer, or no, reviewing scholars either. Use them for a straightforward family. Use Lerners or Shuter when the estate can end up in court. Read Manzil's Islamic will before you pay a law firm for a document an app already covers.
What to Bring to the First Meeting
Bring a list of assets, debts, and who you want to provide for, including anyone who is not a fixed heir. Stepchildren belong in that second list. So does a business partner who would need to buy your shares. Shuter publishes those problems because Ontario courts can still move money through a Family Law Act election or a dependant's relief claim even when the will follows faraid.
At Lerners, ask Sunny Mirza's team how they want your scholar's notes, since the firm will not supply the religious ruling. At Shuter, use the free 15 minutes to learn whether your estate is a drafting job or a fight. If it is a straightforward couple with a house and a TFSA, price Wassiya at about $40, MyAmana at $89, or Manzil's will before you hire a 13-lawyer firm.
Either way, the will has to be signed the way Ontario requires. A beautiful faraid schedule that was not executed is not a will. Ask the firm, or the online tool, for the signing steps in writing and do them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who drafts Islamic wills in Ontario?
Lerners LLP and Shuter Law both draft Islamic wills under Ontario law. Online options include Manzil, MyAmana, and Wassiya.
How much does a lawyer-drafted Islamic will cost?
Neither firm publishes a fee. Expect more than the $40 to $179 online packages. Lerners quotes on engagement. Shuter starts with a free 15-minute consultation.
Do these firms have a Sharia board?
No. Lerners tells you to bring your own religious advice. Shuter can add a compliance statement and consult an imam for that file. Neither names a standing scholar board.
Why not rely on Ontario's default rules?
If you die without a will, a spouse can receive a $350,000 preferential share before children inherit. That split does not match faraid.
Can a will provide for stepchildren?
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See side-by-side comparisons of Shariah-compliant products, or let our matcher recommend the best options for your situation.
Stepchildren do not take a fixed faraid share. Shuter's published guidance uses the one-third bequest for that provision. A lawyer should draft it so the bequest stays inside that cap.
