Before you submit a will search please read the tips below for locating wills, POAs, or a lawyer's files.

Lawyers may submit a will search notice to the YRLA for publication in our monthly newsletter and posting on our Lawyers Lounge bulletin board. The newsletter is emailed to to 600+ lawyers York Region. We cannot take requests from the public--please have your lawyer's office submit the will search notice.

SUBMIT A WILL SEARCH NOTICE

Are you retiring or closing your practice?   Have you taken over the files of a York Region Lawyer who has retired, passed away or closed their practice? Please fill out the form below to inform us where the files are now kept.

Areas to search for wills or POAs:

• AT HOME — Often wills have been found tucked away safely in a desk or drawer at home or in safety deposit boxes*. 
• WITH THE LAWYER — Contact the lawyer directly and inquire if they have retained a copy of the will, document or client file. Search the YRLA's directory for contact information or check the Law Society of Ontario's directory. 
• LAW FIRM — If the lawyer worked in a law firm and is no longer practicing, try contacting the law firm to inquire if they have retained closed files and wills.
• ESTATES DEPARTMENT OF THE SCJ — Contact the estates department in the civil office of the Superior Court of Justice in the location where the testator lived to see if the document was deposited with the court. Addresses and court information for courthouses in Ontario can be accessed on the Ministry of the Attorney General's website.
• The York Region Estates Office is in the Newmarket Courthouse at 50 Eagle St. W, Newmarket, Ontario. The email address is Newmarketestates@ontario.ca (information current as of June 2026).
• The Toronto Region Estates List is administered through the Estates Office, 9th floor, 330 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario. The email address is Toronto.estates@ontario.ca and the telephone number is (416) 326-2940 (information current as of June 2026).
• WILLCHECK.CA — If you are an Ontario lawyer, or if you have retained a lawyer in Ontario, they may conduct a search on Willcheck.ca, an Ontario wills registry database maintained by the County of Carleton Law Association.
• NOTICECONNECT — You may submit a search request with NoticeConnect, which has created the Canada Wills Registry. Their system takes your search query and compares it against the wills that have been registered in their database. They can also assist in locating wills that have not been registered in their database. This service sends a notice to NoticeConnect's mailing list, law libraries, and other partners, asking the legal community if anyone has or knows about a particular will.
• ESTATES LAWYER — You may wish to contact a lawyer who offers services in estate law. Estate lawyers may be able to assist in the search for an original will, or otherwise advise you about a missing or lost will and how to proceed without an original will.
• LAW SOCIETY OF ONTARIO — In some cases, the Law Society of Ontario may have information about the location of wills, legal files and documents from the former practices of lawyers or paralegals. To contact the LSO call 1-800-668-7380 ext. 3366 or email at Trustee_Services@lso.ca or submit an online inquiry form. Visit their find-a-will webpage. 

Information about wills and estates:

Administering Estates at Ontario.ca

What to do when someone dies at Ontario.ca