Nunavut Probate Fees

Families bracing for a probate bill in the thousands are often shocked when they see Nunavut's fee schedule. The fear is understandable — in some provinces, probate is effectively a tax on the estate, and a large estate can owe well over $10,000 before a lawyer is even involved. Nunavut works completely differently. The court fee is a small fixed amount capped at $400, no matter how big the estate. The real question in the North isn't "can I afford the fee" — it's "do I even need probate, and what are the other small costs that add up." Here's exactly what probate costs in Nunavut.

The Court Fee Schedule

Nunavut charges a flat fee based on the value of the estate, and the entire schedule fits in one table:

Read that bottom row again: the fee never exceeds $400. An estate worth $300,000 and an estate worth $3 million both pay $400. There is no percentage, no sliding scale beyond the top tier, no surprise. This single fixed cap is the most important thing to understand about Nunavut probate costs.

Why It's So Much Cheaper Than the South

The contrast with southern provinces is stark, and it's the reason families overestimate the cost so badly.

In several provinces, "probate fees" or "estate administration tax" are charged as a percentage of the entire estate. In Ontario, for example, the estate administration tax runs to roughly 1.5% on the value above $50,000 — so a $500,000 estate owes about $6,750, and a $1.5 million estate owes more than $20,000. British Columbia and other provinces have similar percentage-based regimes.

Nunavut doesn't do this. The fee is a modest fixed charge for the court's administrative work, not a tax on the wealth passing through the estate. On a $500,000 Nunavut estate, the court fee is $400 — not $6,750. The savings on a substantial estate can run into the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars compared to a southern province.

So if you've been quoted frightening probate numbers by friends down south, set them aside. Nunavut's fee is small by design.

The Other Small Costs

The court fee isn't the only cost, but the rest are modest too. Budget for these:

Certified copies of the grant — $10 each. The court issues your grant of probate, and you'll need certified copies to give to the bank, the Land Titles office, and anyone else who requires proof of your authority. Order several; at $10 apiece, it's cheaper to have extras than to reorder by mail later.

Death certificates — $10 each. From Vital Statistics in Rankin Inlet (Box 889, Rankin Inlet, NU, X0C 0G0), paid by cheque or money order to the Government of Nunavut. You need these throughout the estate, not just for probate. Ordering five to ten up front is sensible.

Land Titles transmission fee — $1.50 per $1,000 of value, minimum $60. If the estate includes real property to transfer, this is the fee to register the change of title. On a $150,000 home it's $225; on a $300,000 home it's $450. It's based on property value, not estate value, and it only applies if there's real property.

Add it up for a typical estate with a home and a few accounts and you're often looking at a few hundred dollars in government fees total — court fee, a handful of certified copies and death certificates, and the Land Titles transmission. Compared to the percentage-based bills down south, it's genuinely inexpensive.

When the Cheap Fee Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

Low court fees don't automatically mean a cheap or easy estate. A few situations can still add cost:

The Public Trustee. If there's no will and no one to administer, or the heirs are minors, the Public Trustee of Nunavut may step in — and their charges are real: a $400 file opening fee, 5% on cash receipts, and 3% on the gross value of real property. On a meaningful estate, that dwarfs the court fee. Avoiding Public Trustee involvement, where you can, by stepping up as executor or administrator yourself is the bigger cost lever than the probate fee itself.

A lawyer. You don't need one for a simple, uncontested estate — the Nunavut probate process is manageable on your own, and that's the appeal of DIY probate here. But you may want legal help if the will's validity is disputed, the estate is contested, there's property in another jurisdiction that needs resealing, or beneficiaries are vulnerable. If cost is a barrier, the Legal Services Board of Nunavut offers legal aid for wills and estates matters.

An administration bond. If there's no will, the court usually requires an administration bond as security — an added step and potential cost, though it can often be waived if all beneficiaries sign a Consent to Waive Bond (Form 20). The intestacy path is covered in dying without a will in Nunavut.

The Bottom Line

For most Nunavut families, probate is one of the cheaper parts of settling an estate. The court fee tops out at $400, certified copies and death certificates are $10 each, and the Land Titles transmission is a small percentage of property value. The expensive risks come not from the fee schedule but from Public Trustee involvement or a contested estate — both of which you can often plan around.

The complete probate guide for Nunavut includes a worked fee calculation for estates of different sizes, plus the full list of where every dollar of government cost goes, so you can budget the real total before you start. Get the complete guide here.

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