About Us | Rune Shroud Chronos Legal Services

1987 - The Beginning

Summer, Toronto

Look, I won't sugarcoat it - we didn't start out as some fancy downtown firm. Margaret Shroud opened a cramped office above a bagel shop on Bay Street because that's what she could afford. She'd just watched her own grandmother's estate get torn apart by family squabbles and lawyers who didn't really give a damn. That lit a fire in her that never went out.

Her first client? A retired schoolteacher who walked in off the street with a shoebox full of documents and no clue where to start. Margaret spent four hours with her that day - didn't charge for half of it. That's just how she operated.

1998 - Growing Pains

A decade of lessons

By the late 90s, we'd moved into proper offices and brought on three associates. Alexander Rune joined us that year - fresh out of Osgoode and way too confident for his own good. But he had this knack for untangling the messiest trust situations I'd ever seen. Families who hadn't spoken in years would somehow find common ground after sitting down with him.

We also started specializing harder in estate work. Turns out when you actually care about protecting people's legacies instead of just billing hours, word gets around pretty quick.

2009 - The Hard Year

When everything changed

Margaret passed away that winter. Cancer doesn't care how many wills you've drafted or how many families you've helped. We almost closed the doors - seriously considered it. But she'd left incredibly detailed succession plans for the firm itself, naturally. Made us promise to keep going, keep protecting legacies the right way.

Alexander became senior partner, and we renamed the firm in Margaret's honor. The "Chronos" part? That came from her favorite saying: "Time's the one thing you can't negotiate with, so use it wisely." Still gets me sometimes.

2016 - New Generation

Passing the torch

The next wave of partners joined - folks who'd been with us since articling. We expanded into digital estate planning because, yeah, your Bitcoin and online accounts matter too. Had to drag some of the older partners kicking and screaming into that reality, but it needed to happen.

Started running free estate planning workshops in community centers around Toronto. Margaret would've loved that. We've probably helped 500+ people through those sessions who never became formal clients, and that's perfectly fine with us.

2025 - Still Here, Still Fighting

Today

We're still in that same building on Bay Street, just took over the whole 4th floor now. Twelve lawyers, five support staff, and we're handling everything from basic wills to multi-million dollar estate settlements. But honestly? We treat the retired postal worker with the same attention as the business magnate.

The game's changed a lot since '87, but what Margaret taught us hasn't. Your legacy isn't just about money or property - it's about protecting what you've built and making sure the people you care about aren't left scrambling when you're gone. That's what we do, plain and simple.

What We Actually Believe

No fluff, no corporate speak - just the principles that've guided us since day one.

Estate planning isn't about death - it's about protecting life's work. When someone walks through our doors, they're trusting us with their life's story, their family's future, sometimes their deepest worries about what happens next.

We don't do the hard sell. We don't push products you don't need. And we sure as hell don't treat this like it's just paperwork. Because it's not. It's your parents' home, your kids' education fund, your legacy to that charity you've supported for decades.

Every estate plan we create is custom-built from scratch. Yeah, we've got templates - we'd be lying if we said otherwise - but they're just starting points. Your situation is unique, your family dynamics are yours alone, and your plan should reflect that reality.

Meet The Team

The people who'll actually be handling your estate

15 years wrangling complex trusts and teaching families how to actually talk to each other about money. Former CRA auditor, so yeah, I know all the tricks.

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Sarah Chen

Senior Partner

Trust Administration & Tax Planning

Been doing probate work since 2008. I've seen every possible family drama play out in court, which is exactly why I help people avoid that mess in the first place.

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Marcus Williams

Partner

Probate & Estate Litigation

Specializing in culturally sensitive estate planning and digital asset protection. Your crypto wallets and social media accounts need planning too - trust me on this.

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Amira Hassan

Associate Partner

Modern Estate Planning

Powers of attorney and healthcare directives are my thing. Making sure someone's there to make decisions when you can't - that's not just legal work, that's peace of mind.

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David Kowalski

Senior Associate

Powers of Attorney

Charitable giving and legacy planning - helping you support causes that matter while making smart tax moves. Also really good at explaining this stuff without the legal jargon.

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Jennifer MacDonald

Associate

Legacy Preservation

Newest partner, focused on small business succession. If you've built a company and don't know how to pass it on without killing it or your family relationships - let's talk.

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Thomas Park

Associate

Business Succession

Why We're Different

Most law firms will tell you they care. We'll actually show you. When you call, you get a real person, not a receptionist reading from a script. When you come in, we make coffee and sit down for a real conversation.

We don't bill in six-minute increments for phone calls. We don't charge you to read your emails. And we definitely don't use legal jargon to make ourselves sound smarter - if you don't understand what we're explaining, that's on us, not you.

Been doing this long enough to know that estate planning brings up heavy stuff. Family baggage, mortality, money worries - it's all there. We get it. That's why we take our time, answer every question no matter how basic you think it is, and make sure you walk out feeling confident about the plan.

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