All About Estates

Month: April 2020

Total 20 Posts

Reflections From the COVID-19 Frontline

Dr. Shulman reflects on his experiences with COVID-19 in the Seniors Mental Health Unit at Mississauga Hospital.

Continue Reading

Intention Governs the Disposition of RRSP converted to RRIFs

In the recent application of Boulos v. Duca, 2020 ONSC 1946, the Court considered the issue of what becomes of a beneficiary designation of an RRSP when the account is converted to a RRIF, and no subsequent beneficiary designation is made. Facts: In the 1980s, Yura Nicola Khagek met a…

Continue Reading

One Conversation Can Make All The Difference

Last week I shared that as of April 19, 2020, there were 112 long-term care homes in Ontario  impacted by COVID-19 outbreaks and as of April 26, there are now 147 facilities affected with 654 confirmed resident deaths. This number is staggering. What I do understand is that many of…

Continue Reading

One Short Year Ago!

Today’s blog is being brought to you by guest blogger, Tracy Parkinson, law clerk in the Private Client Services group of Fasken LLP. Thinking now back to what life was like a year ago, I’d say that we were living “footloose and fancy free” although it might not have felt…

Continue Reading

The Plague and Charitable Bequests

In 1348 the plague hit Florence – and Europe – hard. Half the population died in this densely populated city of 80,000. One result of this mass die-off was 350,000 florins of bequests to one organization, Orsanmichele, a grain market with a miracle producing Madonna shrine.  How much is 350,000…

Continue Reading

Thoughts on Litigating in a Pandemic

We are now several weeks into self-isolation, physical distancing, and working from home. Litigating is certainly not top of mind for most people. Moreover, the courts are operating under a limited schedule and will continue restricting the number of matters moving forward well into the summer (jury trials, for example,…

Continue Reading

Had A Henson Trust Been Created? Tribunal Was Not Convinced

Individuals can apply for support through government disability programs such as the Ontario Disability Support Program (“ODSP”) subject to maximums for levels of assets and income. For a single adult with no dependents applying under the ODSP the asset limit is currently $40,000. The OSDP regulations prescribe how assets are…

Continue Reading

And the losers are Long Term Care patients

As of Sunday, 112 long-term care homes in Ontario are grappling with COVID-19 outbreaks and the number is still growing. From the 553 deaths (as reported on Sunday April 19 9:35 am), 240 were residents of long- term care homes.  Shockingly, four residences have reported more than 20 deaths each…

Continue Reading

Accommodating Beneficiaries of a Will With Differing Gender Identities

Accommodating Beneficiaries With Differing Gender Identities Our society is becoming increasingly attuned to accommodating the needs of people who have various gender identities, whether such people are transgender, queer, or do not identify as one specific gender. For example, Ontario announced a few years ago that its residents can use…

Continue Reading

ALEXA? How do I access my online account? Administering Estates in a Digital Age

This Blog was written by: Alicia Godin, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust  Amidst the current landscape, many of us are self-isolating at home and finding ways to entertain ourselves. Often, this means relying more heavily on social media and digital technology. Many of us have adapted our typical business practices…

Continue Reading