Estate Administration

Total 498 Posts

The First Month After a Death: Practical First Steps for Executors and Family Members

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This blog has been written by Caroline Caron, Paralegal, at Fasken LLP The weeks following a death can feel overwhelming. Alongside grief, there are practical responsibilities that often require prompt attention. Whether you are acting as executor or helping someone who is, a few clear first steps can make the process feel more manageable. Before turning to the specific initial steps involved in administering the estate, it is worth noting….

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Estate Administration, Executors

The Law of Substitution de residuo under the Civil Code of Québec: A Refresher from Recent Québec Superior Court Decisions

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This blog has been written by Frédéric Barriault, Counsel, at Fasken LLP The decisions in De Forte c. Kassardjian, 2025 QCCS 91, and Succession de Tremblay c. Abran, 2025 QCCS 2626, offer a coherent and complementary articulation of Québec law governing substitutions de residuo, particularly regarding (1) their legal validity, and (2) the limits imposed by public order rules. Together, these judgments reaffirm the primacy of the testator’s intent while clarifying….

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Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Wills

Finality Matters: Smith v. Bechtel in the Evolving Jurisprudence on Substantial Compliance

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This blog was co-authored by Latoya Brown, Associate and Ciaran Sheahan, Student-at-Law at Fasken LLP Ontario courts have, in recent years, considered a growing number of cases addressing the scope of their curative jurisdiction under s. 21.1 of the Succession Law Reform Act (the “SLRA”), following the amendment empowering them to do so. These decisions continue to refine the doctrine of substantial compliance and to provide clarity on what constitutes….

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Charitable Giving, Contested wills, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Succession Planning, Wills

The “Surprise” Asset – What to Do When You Discover Estate Assets After Probate

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Even with careful record-gathering at the beginning of an estate administration, it is not uncommon for an estate trustee to later discover an additional asset. The estate trustee may think they have prepared a complete list of all the assets owned by the deceased as of the date of death. Then, after the Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee (probate grant) (the “Estate Certificate”) is issued, something else turns up…..

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Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Executors, Probate Tax, Tax Issues, Trustee

Key Findings Relating to the Exercise of Trustee Discretion

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A view over an old stone fence into a cemetary, framed by an abundance of trees in full leaf.

The recent case of Karrow v. Boghosian, 2026 ONSC 2425 (CanLII) is a detailed decision which warrants a thorough review. This blog will focus on the key takeaways from the case, which focussed on the duties of trustees in exercising discretion in administrating a testamentary trust. The applicant estate trustees brought an application to pass their accounts. The respondent Jordan Boghosian (“Jordan”) raised objections to the accounts and maintained that….

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Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Executors, Family Conflict, Passing Of Trustees’ and Executors’ Accounts, Trustee, Trustee Disputes, Trusts, Uncategorized

A Novel Approach to Locating Missing Heirs

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Much has been written on All About Estates about “missing” elements in an estate administration – missing assets, missing heirs, and even missing estate trustees. In the case of missing heirs, the executors have an obligation to take reasonable steps to locate the beneficiaries of the estate. Executors cannot simply distribute the estate to those beneficiaries who are easy to find, or assume that missing beneficiaries do not exist. While….

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Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Executors, Trustee
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