Five Practical Tips for Preparing and Reviewing Estate Accounts

Estate trustees have a duty to keep accurate records of estate assets and transactions throughout their administration and to account to beneficiaries at appropriate intervals. The estate accounts tell the story of how estate assets were collected, managed, spent, and distributed. Once that accounting has been provided, estate trustees may seek a discharge for the period covered by the accounts, either through beneficiary releases or a court passing of accounts…..

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Estate Administration, Executors, Passing Of Trustees’ and Executors’ Accounts, Trustee, Trustee Compensation

What Makes an Estate “Complex”? It’s About More Than Wealth

Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Jean Yong, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust Toronto   One of the most common things I hear from clients is, “I don’t think my estate is that complicated.” What they’re often really telling me is, “I don’t have enough money for estate planning to matter.” It’s an understandable assumption. When we hear the term complex estate, we tend to picture multiple properties, private corporations, substantial investment portfolios….

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Estate Administration, Estate Planning

Estate Freezes and Calculation of Net Family Property: Lang-Newlands v. Newlands

Last week the Ontario Court of Appeal released its decision in Lang-Newlands v. Newlands, 2026 ONCA 530 (“Newlands”). (Previously, Darren Lund blogged twice for All About Estates on the lower court decision and its potential impact on estate freezes. See here for Darren Lund’s blog posted on July 4, 2025). The decisions of the ONCA in Newlands and of the lower court are important for estate and tax planning, family….

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Family Conflict, Separation, Spouse

U.S. Estate Planning & Step-Up in Basis: A Key Rule for Inherited Assets

When advising Canadian clients with cross-border estate planning considerations involving U.S. beneficiaries, the step-up in basis is an important tax concept that can materially affect the beneficiary’s after-tax outcome. A step-up in basis is a significant U.S. tax rule that may affect the capital gains tax payable when inherited assets are later sold. In general, an asset’s tax basis begins with its original purchase price and may be adjusted for….

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Estate Planning, IRS, Succession Planning, Tax Issues, U.S. Citizen, US Taxes

All About Estates & de VRIES LITIGATION LLP: Sharing More Insights in More Places

The All About Estates blog now has a home on LinkedIn. Our collaborative blog, All About Estates, is now over 15 years old. Around 3,500 people subscribe to the daily emails; the website receives 5,000 visits a month, with 11,000 page views. Since 2010, more than 50 contributors have published over 2,700 posts. There are currently 20+ regular contributors to the blog, including lawyers, physicians, wealth managers, trust companies, and….

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Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning

Wills Only in Electronic Form: s. 21.1 of the SLRA Does Not Apply

The decision in Samide v. Taylor, 2026 ONSC 3589 provides clarity on the interplay of the Succession Law Reform Act (“SLRA”) and the Electronic Commerce Act (“ECA”), specifically the applicability of these statutes on wills that only exist electronically. Robert Samide (“Robert”) died unexpectedly in July 2024. He was survived by his children: Jessica, Nicole and Christopher, as well as his domestic partner, Shantel Taylor (“Shantel”) and her three sons…..

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