Generally, assets that are in your name would be included in your estate. Exceptions include assets that you hold jointly with another (those assets will go to the surviving owner) and assets for which you are able to designate a beneficiary such as RRSPs and insurance policies. The dollar value of the assets actually in your name that are not held jointly or designated to a beneficiary form the assets that comprise your estate, and it is the dollar value of those assets that are used to calculate probate fees.
