our 10th year
blog anniversary
There have been a lot of great songs written about change. Like a broken heart, it’s a universal theme, and an essential part of our human experience. One of my favourites is “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles. (Fun fact – this was the first music video to
On an intestacy (when a person dies without a will), each Canadian province and territory provides for a mandatory scheme to distribute a deceased person’s property, which is typically between their surviving spouse and children, if any, and alternately to other relatives. Some provinces and territories provide a spouse with
This past summer, history was made at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when Canadian soccer player, Quinn, became the first openly transgendered and non-binary athlete to not only compete at the Olympics, but to also win an Olympic medal (which happened to be gold, by the way!). Quinn’s journey to the
We all know that divorce rates are high, and common law relationships are increasingly, well, common. You may not know that a very high percentage of divorced individuals will eventually remarry, and more than one in four Canadians who are in a spousal relationship are in their second or subsequent
There are many considerations that go into deciding to relocate to a new jurisdiction. What may not be so apparent, or unfortunately what may even be at the bottom of the to-do list, is ensuring any legal documentation is effective. It may come as a surprise to individuals moving to
“Why do I need a will?” – a question we hear from many clients new to estate planning. It is usually followed up by a list of reasons why clients think they don’t need a will, which can range from believing they are too young and don’t have anything of
In the estate context, it’s not easy dealing with trusts where U.S. beneficiaries are involved. U.S. beneficiaries can seriously complicate an estate plan, particularly regarding ongoing trusts. In a previous blog, “Estate Planning When a Child Moves to the U.S.,” I discussed the tax implications and Canadian tax filings which
A Look at Resulting Trusts When leaving money to their children, clients generally have two objectives: (1) to make things as simple as possible for their children, and (2) to pay the least amount of taxes. Clients want to ensure that the wealth they have accumulated over their lifetime actually
Major legislative changes in estate law are rare. However, we appear to be on the cusp of just such a change in Ontario. On February 16th, the Ontario Government introduced the Accelerating Access to Justice Act, 2021. Bill 245 has passed first reading and been referred to the Standing Committee on
What are some of the trips and traps to be aware of from an estate planning viewpoint if you are a Canadian, but you have assets or other connections south of the border? In this blog, I will give a few concrete examples drawn from my experience of the problems