Legal advice is a must for testators with complex family dynamics. Second (or third) marriages, stepfamilies and common-law relationships are no longer the novelty they once were in Canada. And…
When is a gift not a gift? When you can’t prove it’s what the giver intended. Disputed gifts delivered during the lifetime of the deceased are among the most common…
A lost will is usually as good as no will at all. When the original version of a will can not be found after the testator’s death, the courts typically…
When it comes to powers of attorney, many hands often make heavy work, especially when siblings are involved. Considering the immense responsibility that comes with an appointment under a POA,…
Testamentary ambiguity can arise at any time. In an ideal world, we would all make our wills on the day we die, so that every one of the choices we…
One of the more common reasons people tell me they don’t want a will is that it’s a “waste of money." But a recent ruling delivers a powerful counter-argument, demonstrating…
Renting property to family can get awkward quickly, but things could get even messier for your heirs unless you’ve documented the arrangement. Pick an estate disputes at random from the…
Sharing property with your children has its pros and cons. On the one hand, there are very good estate planning reasons for owning property jointly with a beneficiary, since it…
It’s time to close the POA gap. That’s the name I give to the persistently lagging uptake levels for powers of attorney compared with wills. Surveys of Canadians consistently find…
If there’s anything worse than a do-it-yourself will, it’s one written in a rush. I understand the money-saving draw of will kits – a longtime staple at stationers across the…
