Pre-death will challenge is premature
August 25, 2023
In my long career in estates law, I have learned to spot which wills are most likely to end up
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Specific, not standardized language best for revoking beneficiary designations
August 3, 2023
Testators need to get specific if they want their will to revoke their beneficiary designations, according to Ontario’s Court of Appeal.
Age no barrier to a dependant’s support claim from children
July 27, 2023
When it comes to your estate, your kids don’t need to be minor to be dependants. Ontario’s Succession Law Reform
Lost will forces family to go to court for probate
July 21, 2023
Drafting your will is just the first step in the estate planning process. The second, (often-overlooked) stage involves keeping the
Overcoming taboos with advance care planning
July 4, 2023
Advance care planning can help people break the silence around end-of-life care. While societal attitudes towards sex and money have
Rare POA theft charge highlights potential for abuse
June 30, 2023
The recent arrest of a Thunder Bay man shows there are limits to the authority granted by a power of attorney
$1.9-million estate goes unclaimed in B.C.
June 16, 2023
Normally when I write about a multi-million-dollar estate, it’s in the context of an ugly fight between the beneficiaries of
Court allows son to pay 1985 price for farmland set in mother’s will
May 26, 2023
Anyone who has been shopping for groceries has had a recent reminder of the powerful effect of inflation. The purchasing
Drafting a will may be good for your health
May 25, 2023
Making a will could be good for your mental health. A recent survey found almost half of people who made
No will + wrong executor = court battle
May 5, 2023
People who die without a will could be sowing the seeds of a wasteful court battle over their estate, as
Don’t let beneficiary designations get lost in the shuffle from RRSP to RRIF
April 20, 2023
Updating your beneficiary designations can keep your estate out of the courts after you’re gone. Beneficiary designations on RRSPs, life
Handwritten will declared invalid by Ontario judge
March 30, 2023
Just because the law allows for a testator to hand-write their own will does not make it a good idea,