Toronto Ontario Estate Law Blog

Commencing with the introduction of registered retirement savings plans (“RRSPs”) in 1957, registered plans have generally become an integral part of the estate planning process. Although registered plans play an important role in both the financial and estate planning of many Canadians, the tax treatment of such plans can vary

Courts in common law jurisdictions continue to grapple with how to deal with a spouse’s interest in a discretionary trust when there is a marital breakdown, and whether to include them in property division, and if included, how to value them in dividing family property. There have been shifts by

Typically, we tend to think of the beneficiaries of an estate under a will as being individuals or organizations: family members, friends, and charities. These beneficiaries usually receive their gift outright or through a trust created under the will (i.e., a testamentary trust). However, for those who have created trusts

As we settle into the latter half of the summer months, it bears remembering there are risks associated with the water-related activities which attract many of us at this time of year. Whether swimming, boating, or floating, the majority of drownings occur in lakes, ponds, and rivers, while the victim

Election fervour and fever continues to escalate south of the border and Canada will soon follow. Our last federal election was September 20, 2021, and constitutional and statutory provisions require that the next federal election must be held no more than 5 years after a preceding election and by the

In the evening hours of April 1, 1991, on what otherwise may have been a relatively unassuming day in Düsseldorf, Germany, Detlev Karsten Rohwedder was murdered at his home, in cold blood. The case remains unsolved and arguably ranks as Germany’s own version of the JFK assassination – a prominent

When a person dies without leaving a valid will, they have died “intestate”. A valid will can provide for who should administer the estate, who should benefit from the estate, and the terms on which the beneficiaries inherit. If you die without a will in place, your estate will be

As an estate lawyer, how many times have I said under my breath to myself as my clients have exited the boardroom after an often lengthy, revealing, intense, and always interesting meeting: “I don’t need a law degree – I need a psychology degree!” I am sure my sentiment is

An executor is the person appointed to carry out the provisions in a will, including distribution of the estate. A trustee is the person appointed in a will (in the case of testamentary trusts) or other trust document (i.e., an inter vivos trust) to administer a trust for the benefit

On March 14, 1957, the Honourable Walter Harris, Minister of Finance under the Liberal government of Louis St. Laurent, delivered a landmark budget speech to Canada’s House of Commons. Despite John Diefenbaker’s rise to power on June 10, 1957, mere months later, the groundwork was laid for the implementation of