Probate in Toronto: how the Toronto Estates Office works

Which office handles a Toronto probate application

Under section 7(1) of the Estates Act, a probate application is filed with the Superior Court of Justice office for the county or district where the person had a fixed place of abode at death. If they had no fixed home in Ontario, it goes where they had property (section 7(2)). In Toronto, the Superior Court’s Toronto Region practice direction says the Estates List is administered through the Estates Office, 9th floor, 330 University Avenue, and that all filings relating to Estates List matters are done through that office. The matters heard on that list include all matters arising under Rule 74, the probate rules.

The same building houses the Estate Registrar for Ontario, which Ontario’s estates guidance lists as “c/o Toronto Estates Office” at 330 University Avenue. If you are not sure which office serves a particular address, confirm with the court office before you send anything. Our probate page explains how we help estate trustees with the process. The application itself is covered in how to apply for a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee.

The Toronto Estates Office at a glance

These details come from the province’s court location page for 330 University Avenue, the Superior Court’s list of estates email addresses, and the Toronto Region practice direction (effective October 14, 2025). Check them before a visit, since hours and contacts can change.

Filing a Toronto application by email, step by step

Part I of the Superior Court’s Consolidated Civil Provincial Practice Direction lets counsel and parties email applications for a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee or a small estate certificate, with supporting documents, to the address the court lists for that location. For Toronto, that list gives [email protected].

1. Prepare the package. Form 74A for a regular application, or Form 74.1A for an estate of $150,000 or less, with the affidavits, consents, renunciations, proof of death and draft certificate the rules require. The small estate route is explained in how Ontario’s small estate certificate works.
2. Serve the beneficiaries first. Ontario’s guidance says the application must be sent to those entitled to share in the estate before filing, and for a small estate at least 30 days before filing.
3. Complete the court’s Information Form and email it with the application.
4. Follow the email rules. The subject line names the court, the area of law, the file number or that it is a new file, and the document type. Each email, attachments included, stays within 35 pages, and each PDF holds one court form, named by form number and type.
5. Send the originals and the tax in hard copy. The original will, codicils, bonds and certified copies go to the same court location by mail or courier, or in person. So does the Estate Administration Tax payment.
6. Watch for the court’s reply. Corrections can be emailed, staff will say which extra documents must be in hard copy, and the certificate is issued electronically by email.
7. File the Estate Information Return with the Ministry of Finance within 180 calendar days of the certificate. See what the Estate Information Return is, and when it is due.

Counter hours and paying the tax in Toronto

The building’s court offices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but counter service runs only from 9:00 to 11:00 in the morning and 2:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon. If you plan to deliver an original will or a certified cheque in person, arrive within one of those windows, or send it by courier instead. The Estates Office’s own telephone line, (416) 326-2940, is listed in the practice direction.

The building lists credit cards among its general payment options, but Ontario’s probate guidance lists the methods for paying the Estate Administration Tax as cash or debit where available, certified cheque, a lawyer’s or firm’s trust account cheque, trust company account cheque, bank draft or money order, payable to the “Minister of Finance“. Credit cards are not on that list. The amount is explained in how much is Ontario’s Estate Administration Tax.

What changes the answer

An issue a judge must decide

Most probate applications are dealt with by court staff. If one raises an issue that needs a judge, the Toronto Region practice direction says the Estates List judges hear all matters arising under Rules 74 and 75, and that short, uncontested matters on the Estates List are usually conducted by Zoom, while longer ones proceed in person at 330 University Avenue. Where there is a dispute, such as a notice of objection, get separate advice.

A married spouse’s election

A surviving married spouse who chooses an equalization payment files the Election of Surviving Spouse with the Estate Registrar for Ontario, c/o the Toronto Estates Office, within six months of the death, according to Ontario’s estates guidance. That applies wherever in Ontario the person lived. We explain the choice in does getting married cancel your will in Ontario.

The person lived outside Toronto

The application goes to the office where they lived, not where the family lives now. For someone who lived north of the city, see probate in York Region and the Newmarket courthouse. For someone who lived outside Ontario, the office is where they had Ontario property (section 7(2)).

Checking for other applications

Ontario’s guidance suggests checking with the named estate trustee, family or the court office where the person lived before you file, and a person with a financial interest can file a request for notice in Form 74P. Ontario also notes that a fee must be paid to view a court file.

Processing time

Ontario says regular applications are typically processed within 15 business days, and small estate applications usually within five, longer if something is missing or a judge must decide an issue.

Common mistakes

• Emailing a scan of the original will. Originals go by mail, courier or in person.
• Using the wrong address. The probate filing address is [email protected]; the Estates Office’s general address is [email protected].
• Planning to pay the tax by credit card. The probate guidance does not list it.
• Arriving outside the counter windows. The office opens at 8:30, but the counter serves the public from 9:00 to 11:00 and 2:00 to 4:00.
• Filing in Toronto for someone who lived elsewhere. The office follows the person’s home at death.
• Forgetting the six months for a spouse’s election. It goes to the Estate Registrar for Ontario at the Toronto Estates Office.

What to do this week

1. Confirm the person’s fixed home at death, and which Superior Court office serves it.
2. Find the original will and codicils, and keep them ready for courier or delivery.
3. Work out date of death values and the tax deposit.
4. Arrange payment by an accepted method, such as a certified cheque to the Minister of Finance.
5. Serve the beneficiaries, and diarize 30 days if it is a small estate.
6. Prepare separate PDFs of each form if you will file by email.
7. If you would like a lawyer to prepare and file the application, a first consultation takes 30 minutes, by video or in person. You can request one here.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Ontario.ca: 330 University Avenue, Toronto (address, hours, civil telephone, payment options, French-language services)
• Superior Court of Justice: Consolidated Practice Direction for the Toronto Region, Part F (Estates List and Estates Office)
• Superior Court of Justice: Email Processes for Certificates of Appointment of Estate Trustee (Toronto filing address)
• Superior Court of Justice: Consolidated Civil Provincial Practice Direction, Part I
• Estates Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.21, s. 7
• Ontario.ca: Administering estates (Estate Registrar for Ontario; fee to view a court file)
• Ontario.ca: Apply for probate of an estate
• Ontario.ca: Apply for probate of a small estate

This page is general information about Ontario law, not legal advice for your situation. It reflects the law as of October 26, 2026.