This blog has been written by Pritika Deepak, Associate at Fasken LLP. The final part of this three-part blog series discussing Powers of Attorney for Property (“POAs”) in Ontario, will focus on specific provisions and some considerations to keep in mind when drafting these documents. Specifically, it will provide a…
This blog post was written by: Derek Hambly, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust London In part one of this post, posted on June 5th we discussed that if your cottage is not also a qualified farm or fishing property, avoiding capital gains entirely can only really be done by declaring…
Today’s blog was written by Melissa Miller of Howie, Sacks & Henry LLP Imagine that you have a loved one in a retirement home and it’s been an unusually long time since you heard from them, or you cannot get a hold of them in the usual way. You finally…
By: Maddi Thomas, associate and Sukhman Sangha, articling student Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP Mental capacity continues to be a growing area of focus in estates law. Capacity, defined under the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992 (“SDA”) as the ability to understand and appreciate decision consequences, is assessed through medical and…
Diminishing capacity is a very complex topic. It may happen quickly or be a long, slow decline in the ability to make effective decisions. The risks can be devastating, impacting a person’s health and financial well-being. Emerging research indicates that issues managing finances could be an early warning sign of…
I recently had the pleasure of leading a course for lawyers who want to learn how to draft Wills (or improve their existing skills). One of the topics that we discussed at some length was how best to draft a residue provision in a Will, where there are multiple residuary…
This blog post was written by: Derek Hambly, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust London It is that time of year again when cottages, cabins and recreational properties are top of mind. Sitting in traffic getting out of town to get to the lake doesn’t seem so bad when your home-away-from-home…
In MacBeth Estate v. MacBeth, 2025 ONCA 360 CanLII (“MacBeth Estate”) the lower court’s decision was affirmed by the Ontario Court of Appeal. The appellants appealed the lower court’s decision on the basis that the motion judge (i) erred in denying the appellants an adjournment; (ii) erred in removing them…
Canadians are familiar with the concept of joint ownership with right of survivorship. It is the prevalent form of ownership between spouses. Therefore, it is not uncommon for Canadians to own U.S. real property or other U.S. property, jointly, especially between spouses. Many are of the view that it will…
You’ve already beaten the odds — now make sure your fortune doesn’t roll the dice without you. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of helping lottery winners turn sudden wealth into lasting legacies. Here are six key considerations to keep in mind from an estate planning perspective: Assemble…