All About Estates

Month: May 2018

Total 15 Posts

Chapter Two in the Family Farm Saga

The case of John the Farmer (which I had previously blogged about) is now under appeal. John  is seeking to overturn the ruling that he had to vacate the family farm so it could be sold on the open market. A judge rejected John’s request to stay the lower court’s…

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A Gift is a Gift

We often write about the benefits (and some pitfalls) of gifting, before and after death. Personally, when I recommend gifting, I assume that unless there are specific outcomes required to realize on the gift, a gift is exactly that, a gift – something transferred voluntarily without expectation of getting it…

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Have you had your ‘Check Up From the Neck Up*’?

The events over the last few weeks highlight how fragile life is. Anyone of us could have been walking on that sidewalk on that fateful day; we just never know what life has in store for us. This blog isn’t about being prepared, which is a concept I endorse but…

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Life Insurance Joint Tenants[1]

I think it is fair to say that joint ownership of property[2] is one of the most commonly used strategies for property ownership in the context of developing an estate plan.  Like any form of partnership, there are many issues to consider in jointly owning property.  In the context of…

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Privacy, the Rule of Law, and Apotex Inc.

The “rule of law” is a defining feature of western democracies. Briefly described, it is the insistence that all government action be based in law, and is contrasted with acts of tyranny, dictatorship, and arbitrary exercises of power. The central role that the rule of law plays in Canadian society…

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