about us

Our office is located at 640 Muskoka Road North, Gravenhurst, Ontario P1P 3E7. We are inbetween the Salvation Army and the Optometrists, close to Winewood Avenue.

Fees are based on time spent to resolve your matter. There are also other factors that come into play, such as the timing for completion (i.e. is there a rush on the file) and whether travel is required.

Some type of work, like real estate (purchases, sales, title transfers, etc.) tends to be charged as a block fee (or flat rate), while other matters are billed according to time spent. Please contact us for your specific needs.

If you are a new client looking for information, call us at 705-687-6782 and enter “0”. You will then be directed to the appropriate party. If you are already a client, and know who you have been dealing with, enter their extension to be connected without delay.

We are open Mondays to Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Fridays 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. We are also available evenings and weekends on request.

No. It is better if you provide us with the mortgage account number and we take care of paying it out and ensuring that it gets discharged from title.

No. Please tell you real estate agent that you want Pregler Law to represent you in your transaction, and the real estate agent will send us everything that we require.

No. We are able to complete most transactions by using DocuSign to get electronic signatures, and meet by Zoom to review the documentation.

You need to contact all your utilities (gas, hydro, water, propane) to notify them of your move out date. If you have pre authorized tax payments this must be canceled by you at least 20 days before moving. You do not need to contact the municipality with respect to your property taxes, we do this for you. Do not cancel your home insurance until we have notifified you that the transaction has closed and has been registered.

While not an exhaustive list because every deal differs, on all deals we will need a valid photo ID, a secondary ID, your full legal name, your date of birth, your pre-closing address, the name of your bank/lender if you are getting financing, and home insurance confirmation. You will also need to contact all utilities to set up new accounts in your name.

Once we are in receipt of funds from the purchaser, our office will contact you to ensure you’re out of the home and the purchaser’s will be able to move in once the transfer is registered. Our office will get a lockbox code from the listing agent to give to the purchaser so they will have access to the key for the front door. Please leave any additional keys in an obvious place like the kitchen counter. Our office will do registrations/payouts of mortgages or debts/ payments to the real estate brokerage/ bank, and will deposit the remaining funds to you. Once this has all been done, we will call you. At this time, you can notify your insurance company that your home insurance can be cancelled, effective immediately.

We will require any funds from you at least one business day in advance of closing. Mortgage funds are received on the day of. We will handle moving funds and registrations, as well as payment of Land Transfer Tax, and then will call you once the deal has been completed to give you the lockbox/access code to retrieve a key to the front door.  The listing agent will usually come to retrieve the lockbox from the door a day or two after closing. We notify the Tax Department of the change of ownership.

In a standard sale or purchase transaction, legal fees are based on block fees, and also depend on whether there is a mortgage discharge, a new mortgage, other payouts required etc. Disbursements are added, as well a costs for a title search where required, but this also varies from transaction to transaction. Land Transfer Tax is also paid in accordance with Minister of Finance tabled guidelines (based upon purchase price). Title Insurance is also added on  purchases or where new financing is required by the mortgage lender. It is best to give us a call and we will get the particulars of your transaction and provide you with a quote.

First time home buyers may be eligible for a refund (which is claimed at time of registration) for up to $4,000.00. Specific provisions – Canadian over the age of 18, cannot have owned a home or interest in a home at any time, anywhere in the world. We will advise you on how much Land Transfer Tax is on your purchase.

Holding title in joint tenancy means that upon the death of a joint tenant owner, the property automatically transfers to the surviving joint tenant(s). As a tenant in common owner, the property would transfer according to the provisions of your last will and testament.

No, we do not take legal aid. To find a legal aid lawyer near you, please visit
https://www.legalaid.on.ca/lawyers/

The cost of doing any type of family law agreement will depend on the willingness of the parties to cooperate and the amount of assets at stake. Typically, cohabitation agreements and marriage contracts will be less costly than separation agreements which tend to have at least some acrimony between the parties, but that is not always the case. Where you have prior families involved, we also have to look at pre existing agreements, who are potential dependants etc., as well as impact on estate planning to ensure that the intention of the parties’ is aligned with their obligations, wills etc.

A will is absolutely critical to ensuring that your estate is dealt with efficiently and in accordance with your wishes. Dying without a will (dying intestate) can be expensive and contentious, putting undue pressure on family that could easily be avoided. In almost every instance, dying intestate requires someone to apply for a Certificate of Appointment (probate), which can be costly, and the resulting distribution of estate assets takes a lot longer than it should. In addition, not having a will often results in family discord.

A power of attorney is extremely important and should not be overlooked. If one does not have a power of attorney and they become incapable of making decisions, then the only option is to apply for a guardianship order, which is expensive and time consuming.

In general, the most common mistakes in estate planning stem from not having a plan, not reviewing your plan every few years, not understanding what probate is, being incorrectly advised by web searches, friends and family members, being concerned with what your family will think, and trying to rule from beyond the grave. Other common mistakes pertinent to estate distribution of assets include leaving assets solely in one name, not putting down beneficiaries where possible, making the estate the beneficiary, not considering the use of trusts, not understanding rolloever exemptions and tax implications. When you meet with a lawyer, all these common mistakes are avoided, or you will have a clear understanding of your decisions.

The attorney(s) and executor(s) are important to ensuring that your wishes are met while alive and on your passing. It is not a decision that should be taken lightly, as these individuals have a fiduciary obligation to act in your best interests, the estates best interests, and the beneficiaries best interests. They need to be trustworthy, capable and able to act, impartial and loyal. This does not always mean that a family member is best to be appointed, and should be discussed with your lawyer. Further, it is not recommended to name multiple individuals and make them all joint attorneys/executors to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.