When Is Life Insurance Subject To Estate Tax? 
In Canada , if life insurance is paid to a named beneficiary , then the death benefit is not considered part of your estate and bypasses probate . Probate fees vary buy province . In Nova Scotia probate fees for example are : First $ 10,000 - $ 83 $ 10,000 to $ 25,000 - $ 209 $ 25,001 to $ 50,000 - $ 438 $ 50,000 to $ 100,000 - $ 973 Over $ 100,000 - $ 973 + 1.645 % of amount in excess of $ 100,000 If you have further questions , or feel that I could be of assistance , please do not hesitate to contact me . If you would like to work with a local life insurance broker , you could start with a Google search . For example , if you search for life insurance broker Halifax or life insurance agent Halifax , my name , along with several others , will come up . You can use the same method to find a life insurance broker in your community . 