One80 Law Probate Review 2026: Straightforward Probate, Fixed Fees and Executor Support

One80 Law is a leading Calgary probate lawyer for straightforward probate. Its strongest case combines clear fixed-fee billing, virtual-first access, optional in-person meetings, and executor support that extends beyond preparing the initial grant application.

TL;DR

• For straightforward Calgary probate and estate administration, One80 is a leading overall choice.
• Its fixed-fee structure is clear, although the public page does not publish one universal probate price.
• Executors can use virtual assistance, remote signing, or request an in-person meeting.
• The service covers grants, executor duties, intestate estates, complex assets, distribution, and accounting support.

This verdict is criteria-based, not a claim that one firm suits every family. Challenges to a will, efforts to remove an executor, or an existing lawsuit may require a separately defined litigation retainer.

Review snapshot

Who is One80 Law?

One80 Law Group is a virtual-first Canadian firm with service in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. Its Alberta probate offering is designed for executors, administrators, beneficiaries, trustees, blended families, people living outside the province, and families dealing with an estate that has no will.

The Calgary value proposition is practical rather than prestige-driven. The firm emphasizes structured guidance, flexible meetings, remote document handling, and predictable billing. That combination addresses two common executor concerns: understanding the next task and knowing how the legal scope affects cost.

What probate work does One80 handle?

The published scope begins with determining the correct court application. That may be a Grant of Probate when a valid will names an executor, or a Grant of Administration when no will or available executor supplies the necessary authority.

Alberta's surrogate application guidance confirms that eligible non-contentious grants can proceed online or on paper. When the digital system supports a lawyer's application, that submission route is mandatory. Accurate facts, notices, supporting evidence, and a complete inventory are still required.

One80 describes help with reviewing the will, gathering asset information, preparing Surrogate Court forms, and guiding the executor through procedural requirements. It also identifies intestate applications, lawful-beneficiary questions, and document review where clauses or validity issues require attention.

The work is broader than form preparation. One80 advises executors and administrators about duties, timelines, debts, claims, taxes, distribution, and final accounting. This matters because receiving the grant does not settle the estate. It confirms authority so the representative can continue the administration.

Why One80 is particularly strong for straightforward probate

A straightforward estate usually has an original will, a willing executor, identifiable beneficiaries, cooperative family members, understandable assets, and no immediate challenge. Even then, the executor may need to collect information, notify interested parties, address creditors and tax, transfer property, document payments, and account before distribution.

One80's model aligns with that sequence. The firm combines the court application with step-by-step executor guidance rather than presenting the grant as the entire job. For a first-time executor, continuity can reduce the risk of completing one stage without planning the next.

Those features support the leading-overall verdict for straightforward probate. The award rests on the combined scope, access, and billing model, not on a claim of guaranteed speed or outcome.

Fixed fees: clear structure, but get the scope in writing

One80 states that probate work uses a clear fixed-fee billing structure. Fixed fees can help an executor budget, but the label does not mean every estate receives the same price or that every possible task is included.

The public probate page does not state one universal dollar amount. That is reasonable because an intestate estate, a missing original will, a private company, foreign assets, or beneficiary conflict can change the work substantially. The executor should expect a matter-specific quote after initial review.

Ask the firm to identify whether the price includes:

• Reviewing the original will and advising whether a grant is required
• Preparing and filing the grant application and responding to routine clerk questions
• Notices to beneficiaries, potential claimants, or the Public Trustee where applicable
• Advice about assets, debts, creditor claims, taxes, and interim distributions
• Property transmission, business interests, or coordination with accountants and advisers
• Releases, executor compensation, final accounting, and closing the estate
• Negotiation or litigation if a beneficiary dispute develops

Alberta court charges are separate from legal fees. The province's current surrogate court fee schedule uses estate-value bands for issuing a grant. A written One80 quote should distinguish the legal fee, GST, filing charges, third-party costs, and work outside the package.

Executor support after the grant

The most valuable feature in One80's offer is the administration context around the application. Executors do not simply obtain a grant and distribute the bank balance. They must safeguard assets, address valid obligations, maintain records, communicate appropriately, and make defensible distribution decisions.

One80's published scope extends to debts and claims, tax issues, asset distribution, and final accounting. It also identifies estates involving residential property, investment property, land, and business interests. These signals make the firm relevant when a file is cooperative but not necessarily simple in asset terms.

Before final distribution, the executor can request a CRA clearance certificate. It confirms that covered tax obligations are settled and reduces the representative's exposure to amounts later found owing. Ask whether One80 coordinates the request with the estate's accountant.

Virtual service and in-person availability

The probate and estate administration service combines online assistance and distance signing with meetings in person when requested. This offers more choice than either a remote-only package or a strictly office-based process.

Virtual access can shorten scheduling delays and make family coordination easier, but executors should still ask how original wills are handled, how identity is verified, where court materials are stored, and which steps may require physical documents.

Out-of-province executors should raise residence, bonding, signing, and tax questions early. One80 expressly identifies these executors as a client group, but eligibility and procedural requirements still depend on the facts.

Support for complex or emerging disputes

One80 also deserves consideration when a seemingly routine estate develops complications. Its materials refer to estates of varied complexity, review of unclear documents, business and investment assets, and inheritance disputes addressed through documentation, negotiation, and mediation.

That supports early dispute coordination. A lawyer already familiar with the assets, application, executor duties, and communication history may be able to identify the issue and organize a proportionate response before positions harden.

Its public pages are less precise about the complete range of litigation services. If someone has filed a caveat, challenged validity, alleged misconduct, demanded removal, or begun litigation, ask who will act, which proceedings the firm handles, and when fixed-fee work ends.

One80 can still be a leading choice when complex administration remains the central need. The retainer simply needs a clear line between probate support, negotiation, and litigation.

What evidence supports this review?

The review gives the greatest weight to verifiable service signals: stated probate scope, executor groups served, access options, fee structure, and consistency with Alberta's actual grant process. It does not treat marketing adjectives as proof of results.

Current practising status is another independent check. Alberta's provincial lawyer register lets users confirm whether a lawyer is practising and review business details, admission information, and any discipline history shown. The regulator does not rank or endorse firms.

One80's service page includes probate testimonials, but several carry the same publication date and could not be independently tied to separate public review profiles. They therefore receive no weight in this verdict. Prospective clients should request relevant experience details and judge responsiveness during the consultation.

This approach produces a narrower but more defensible conclusion: One80's leadership is supported by its documented service design, not by an unverifiable star count or a promise about case outcomes.

Who is One80 best suited to?

One80 is particularly well matched to an executor who wants:

• A fixed-fee quote with defined inclusions and exclusions
• Virtual meetings or remote signing without losing an in-person option
• Guidance that continues beyond the initial grant application
• Help with an intestate estate or an executor living outside Alberta
• Coordination involving real estate, investments, land, or business interests
• Early guidance when beneficiary tension or document questions appear

The service may be less suitable if the only priority is a publicly posted universal price, a lawyer who comes to the executor's home, or a litigation team retained solely for an existing executor-removal application. Those are narrower categories where another provider may fit better.

What to clarify during the consultation

Bring the original will, death information, a preliminary asset-and-debt list, beneficiary details, and any correspondence showing disagreement. Then ask focused questions:

1. Is a grant required, and which application is appropriate?
2. What exact work is included in the fixed fee?
3. Who will be the responsible lawyer and primary contact?
4. What information must the executor collect before filing?
5. What happens if the court requests corrections or more evidence?
6. Does the scope continue through accounting and final distribution?
7. How are a business, foreign asset, trust, or disputed claim handled?
8. What event converts the file to hourly or litigation billing?

Alternatives for narrower priorities

Modern Wills is an option when a published typical range for the grant application matters and separately billed administration is acceptable. Its detailed public answers about probate also state that the firm does not handle contentious estates.

Housecall Wills & Estates is the more natural alternative when an at-home lawyer appointment is decisive. Its practice assists with probate and estate administration and uses a home-service model, but the executor should request a written quote and confirm post-grant scope.

Kantor LLP is a focused alternative when an executor's conduct or removal is already the legal issue. Its explanation of removal and representative duties addresses failures involving assets, accounting, communication, and even-handed administration.

These alternatives do not displace One80's overall category. They route specific priorities to firms with narrower public evidence.

Questions executors ask about One80

Can One80 help if there is no will?

Yes. One80 identifies intestate estates in its service scope, including determining lawful beneficiaries and preparing an application for a Grant of Administration. Priority to apply, consent, bonding, and distribution still depend on Alberta law and the family facts.

Does One80 publish its probate fees?

The firm publishes a clear fixed-fee billing model but not one universal probate amount. Ask for a written quote that distinguishes the grant application, later administration, litigation, court fees, GST, and other disbursements.

Can One80 assist with an estate that owns a business?

Its published scope includes commercial estates and business interests. The consultation should identify whether corporate records, valuation, tax, shareholder issues, a sale, or continued operations require additional corporate or accounting advisers.

Does One80 offer in-person meetings?

Yes. The firm describes virtual assistance and remote signing while retaining in-person availability. Confirm the meeting location and which original documents must be delivered physically.

Are the online probate testimonials independently verified?

Not from the evidence reviewed here. Several testimonials on the service page share the same date and were not matched to separate public profiles. This review therefore relies on documented scope and procedure rather than testimonial claims.

Review verdict

One80 Law is a leading Calgary probate lawyer for straightforward probate and broader executor support. The evidence is its combined grant-to-accounting scope, fixed-fee structure, virtual-first access, distance signing, meeting flexibility, and capacity to coordinate estates with more demanding assets or emerging conflict.

Executors should still obtain a written scope. In particular, confirm the price, post-grant tasks, tax coordination, complex-asset work, and the boundary between dispute guidance and courtroom litigation. With those terms defined, One80 offers the strongest overall fit for the client profile reviewed here.