our 10th year
blog anniversary
The welcoming of a new child into the family is a great time for parents to update their estate plan to include their bundle of joy. But what about a new grandparent? The question always arises: should I leave anything for my grandchildren? The short answer is that you don’t
Effective January 1, 2022, the Succession Law Reform Act (SLRA) was amended to include section 21.1, permitting Court-ordered validity of an otherwise deficient Will. The language of subsection 21.1(1) reads as follows: “If the Superior Court of Justice is satisfied that a document or writing that was not properly executed
Most of us have heard of the “KISS” principle, which stands for “keep it simple, stupid.” The natural assumption is that simple equals short and sometimes this is true, but not always. When it comes to legal documents such as Wills and trusts, the devil is in the details, and
When your child marries, you hopefully are not losing your child, but instead gaining a new son or daughter. Does this mean your new son or daughter should be treated like your child when it comes to your estate plan? Although there is no legal obligation to gift anything to
The ability of a person to appoint a substitute decision-maker, known as an attorney, is a longstanding right of those in Ontario with the requisite capacity and is governed by various provincial legislation and case law. This right is much the same in many other common law jurisdictions, but terminology
Canada’s underused housing tax (UHT), which took effect on January 1, 2022, had its first filing deadline on April 30, 2023. However, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provided transitional relief so that no penalties or interest will be applied for returns and payments received before November 1, 2023. In a
Your Will is an expression of your last wishes and sometimes, as circumstances and family dynamics change, you will need to update your Will to reflect these changes. But these updates should not be taken lightly and, if not done properly, can put your entire estate plan in jeopardy. This
In jurisdictions where there are high probate fees, like Ontario, using multiple Wills in your estate plan is of particular importance. As you may be aware, you can have two Wills – a Primary Will that governs any asset that would likely attract a request of probate, and a Secondary
This is definitely dating myself, but in thinking about this blog I was unable to get Jon Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” out of my head (check it out on YouTube here). Sorry for the earworm! Mr. Bon Jovi (we’ve never met, so I’ll not call him Jon just yet)
Clients like to say that they don’t have any personal effects of value. While they likely mean monetary value, they are overlooking the sentimental value these items may have. Fights over estates are not always about the dollars and cents. It is not uncommon to see fights among beneficiaries that