Don’t forget your pooch when planning your estate. Many families regard their pets as full members, but only a small minority reflect this fact in their wills. In one recent case, that testamentary silence helped spur a fight over the future of one-year-old mixed breed puppy Rocco Junior, following the death of
Getting a will can protect your beneficiaries while you’re still alive, as a recent Ontario court case demonstrates. Before he was struck down with dementia, the 85-year-old man at the heart of the matter had named his daughter as his power of attorney for both property and personal care. In addition, he
Testators should document their intentions when they set up joint bank accounts if they want to avoid a future estate battle over the funds. There are good estate planning reasons for owning property jointly with a beneficiary – it can be an effective way to transfer funds while avoiding the 1.5
Estate planning should be a priority for Canada’s growing stepfamily population. With more and more people finding relationship success at the second or third attempt and welcoming their children into fresh unions with married or common-law spouses, it seems as though the modern Canadian family unit has changed beyond recognition over
Testamentary ambiguity is often the spark that ignites a court battle after the death of a loved one. Across the province, courthouse case lists are full of feuding relatives who have seized on inaccuracy or vagueness in the deceased’s will to challenge the inheritances left to their fellow beneficiaries. In
In my long career in estates law, I have learned to spot which wills are most likely to end up in court after the testator’s death. Wills governing larger value estates are often candidates for future litigation, but the truth is you don’t need to be rich for your
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