A new law could bring some much-needed clarity to the rights of substitute decision makers when it comes to an incapable person’s beneficiary designations on things like RRSPs, life insurance…

In estates law, your spouse and kids may not be your only dependants.  Ontario’s Succession Law Reform Act allows dependants of the deceased to make a claim against the estate…

The most valuable assets in the estate are not always the ones that would fetch the biggest price.   Over my many years of estates law practice, I have seen plenty…

There’s no need to wait until retirement to get a will in place.  According to a new poll by Angus Reid, 50 per cent of adult Canadians do not have…

When Frances Lloyd checked her lottery numbers the morning after a June 2021 Lotto 6/49 draw, the Vancouver Islander couldn’t believe what she saw. Lloyd had matched all 6 numbers,…

Sibling rivalries are a bit like a dormant volcano: even when they look calm, they never really stop bubbling under the surface, before erupting into view, apparently at random.  The…

If you want your crypto-assets to outlast you, then you need to include them in your estate plan.   One of the biggest attractions for holders of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin…

Reproductive technology is moving at a much faster pace than the laws governing its use.  CNN recently reported on the story of an Australian woman who gave birth to a…

B.C. is taking a step into the unknown with new legislation that allows testators to draft and execute fully electronic wills.  Bill 21, which took effect in December, makes the…