This paper serves as a practical guide for wills and estates practitioners through a series of principles that should inform good drafting. Starting with a discussion of the role and responsibilities of a drafting solicitor, it examines the use of precedents, drafting tips, covering “what ifs”, and more. It also considers what to do when clients give instructions that a lawyer can foresee will lead to issues.

This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Managing Wills and Estates Matters program in Banff on April 29, 2022.