Court allows son to pay 1985 price for farmland set in mother’s will
Anyone who has been shopping for groceries has had a recent reminder of the powerful effect of inflation. The purchasing power of your money falls as the years pass, which…
Little joy in Bob Ross’ estate battle
Anyone who has ever seen The Joy of Painting will understand why Bob Ross remains a cult hero to many. Although the PBS show only ran between 1983 and 1994…
Surprise beneficiary of $1-billion estate sparks potential litigation
Unexpected beneficiaries are a recipe for estate litigation, as the simmering dispute over a publishing magnate’s $1-billion estate shows. Following his death this summer, it was revealed that Richard Robinson,…
Senior old man elderly examining and checking last will and testament
Avoiding the hassle of administration bonds
Testators can do their bit to ensure executors don’t have to post an administration bond. Ontario’s Estates Act requires some foreign-based estate trustees to obtain a bond worth twice as…
Sibling executors revive old rivalries
There’s nothing like the death of a parent to connect adults with their inner child. While some siblings come closer together in their shared grief, I find that that they’re…
Preparing your executor for the job
Not everyone is cut out to be the executor for an estate, so it’s best to make sure your choice knows what they’re letting themselves in for ahead of time.…
Estate planning for NFTs and other digital assets
You know that a tech trend has gone mainstream when it makes it onto Saturday Night Live. Earlier this year, the long-running comedy show tackled non-fungible tokens via the medium…
Zombie deeds: Scarily risky estate planning tool
A pair of legal decisions have left “zombie” deeds hovering – appropriately enough – between life and death. The deed gets its spooky name from the manner of the property…
Blended families add complexity to estate planning
Keeping your beneficiary designations up to date can save your heirs time and money. Although they’re often forgotten by testators, the beneficiary designations on things like RRSPs, life insurance policies…
Boomers unsure beneficiaries can handle their inheritance
Baby Boomers who are worried about how heirs will handle their inheritance have options when it comes to estate planning. With the country’s largest intergenerational transfer already underway – around…
