A marriage contract is often an important component of an integrated estate plan. Frequently the discussion arises when the children of the first or second generation in a successful family business begin to marry, particularly where those children are beneficiaries of a discretionary family trust that holds common shares in…
Month: July 2018
Total 17 Posts
In the recent decision of Dujardin v. Dujardin, 2018 ONCA 597, the Court of Appeal for Ontario considered the validity of wills executed by a testator suffering from chronic alcoholism. Background: Jack and Noel Dujardin (“Jack” and “Noel”) were brothers who jointly owned a farm property that had been in…
At least 54 people in Quebec have died over the last 2 weeks due to this current heat wave; the majority were seniors. Summer has hit us hard and although all winter long we look forward to warmer weather, the heat can actually cause harm- especially to the elderly. Those…
In order for a charity to maintain its charitable status, the Form T3010 Registered Charity Information Return (“T3010 Information Return”) must be filed each year within 6 months following the end of the charity’s fiscal period. Approximately two years ago, the Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) created an infographic to remind…
I previously blogged about the importance of making a will to ensure that your testamentary wishes are carried through. Eissmann v Kuntz is a recent Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision illustrating the unintended consequences of improper estate planning. Background Siegfried Kunz was born in Germany in 1937. He married…
Ownership of assets into ‘joint tenancy with right of survivorship” is a mechanism of ownership transfer commonly used for estate planning to address such issues as probate fee and tax avoidance. Recently, this blog site very capably addressed the issues surrounding “joint tenancy” of life insurance in particular (“Life Insurance…
I was browsing through the Canadian Family Physician Magazine (Vol 64 April 2018) and the ‘Geriatric Gem’ caught my interest. The topic is on supporting caregivers, specifically those of persons with dementia. The evidence presented is that “caregivers of persons living with dementia are at higher risk of depression, substance…