The last post made by a British Columbia blogger who was suffering from terminal colorectal cancer has garnered worldwide attention.
Posthumous Blogging
By Laura West •
May 12, 2011
Laura West
Update on U.S. Estate Tax Challenge
By Laura West •
April 26, 2011
In a blog that I wrote last December, I commented on a U.S. constitutional challenge that had been launched in response to the U.S. estate tax burden borne by the survivor of a same-sex marriage.
Specificity Matters: Defining “Spouses” for Estate Planning Purposes
By Laura West •
April 7, 2011
When making testamentary or inter vivos gifts, parents sometimes want to ensure that provision is made for the spouses of their children, whether it is by including such individuals as potential beneficiaries of trusts or as recipients of outright gifts.
RESPs and Estate Planning: Further Issues
By Laura West •
March 22, 2011
In my last blog, I wrote about some of the preliminary estate planning issues that should be considered with respect to Registered Education Savings Plans (“RESPs”). This week, I wanted to touch on some additional issues regarding estate planning and RESPs.
Estate Planning and RESPs
By Laura West •
March 4, 2011
Registered education savings plans (“RESPs”) have become a popular financial planning tool for saving money for a child’s post-secondary education. However, they raise many issues from an estate planning perspective that deserve consideration.
Ruling Handed Down by Hong Kong Court of Appeal in Billion Dollar Estate Fight
By Laura West •
February 15, 2011
A recent news report by the Wall Street Journal details the latest turn in a high profile litigation regarding the multi-billion dollar estate of Hong Kong heiress Nina Wang.
Funerals in the Internet Age
By Laura West •
January 28, 2011
A recent blog by Elaine Blades discussed some of the succession issues arising from recent developments in reproductive technologies. As a recent article in the New York Times demonstrates, the modern funeral service is also not immune from the relentless progression of the technological age. One of the first responsibilities…
You Fight, You Lose: Adding No Contest Clauses to Wills
By Laura West •
January 20, 2011
If a testator anticipates that disappointed beneficiaries may possibly contest his Will following his death, he may wish to include a “no contest” clause in his Will.
Reviewing and Reconsidering your Estate Plan – When and Why?
By Laura West •
December 23, 2010
As this is the last blog before we take a break for the holiday (we return on Monday), and as the year is drawing to a close, I thought that I would touch base on the life circumstances that should lead to a review and reconsideration of your current estate plan.
U.S. Estate Tax Burden Results in Challenge of US Federal Marriage Law
By Laura West •
December 7, 2010
Further to my colleague Corina Weigl’s discussion of U.S. estate taxes, I thought readers might be interested in a U.S. constitutional litigation that has been launched in response to the U.S. estate tax burden borne by the survivor of a same-sex marriage.