All About Estates

Month: May 2020

Total 19 Posts

The Effect that Covid-19 is having on Administering Estates

Today’s blog is being brought to you by guest blogger, Jennifer Campbell, a law clerk in the Private Client Services group of Fasken LLP. I, like many of my colleagues, have been working from home for what feels like an eternity now.  While I’m used to working remotely a couple…

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Investment Policy Statements (IPS) for Trusts

This blog has been written by Robert Boyd, Scotia Wealth Management When acting as Trustee, in most cases it’s advisable to consult an investment specialist to select the investments. The practical reason for doing so is to limit personal liability and ensure the assets are invested in a suitable way,…

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Guardian of Personal Care: Step Up or Step Out

While the courts will defer to the wishes of the incapable person regarding their attorney/guardian of personal care, they will also look at the past actions of the applicants.

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Can A Broken System Be Fixed?

I don’t know about you- but I am struggling with our new normal and the mounting deaths in Long Term Care.  As you have been reading, for the last several years we have had major challenges in our Long Term Care system.  I previously wrote a 3 – part article…

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Where There is a Will, There is a Way

This post is a culmination of the works of various members of Fasken LLP. Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wish I knew the basics of Will formalities in other provinces”?  In this post, we hope to expand our horizons beyond Ontario to provide a brief overview of the…

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More Random Thoughts in Isolation

Still in isolation, still feeling random… 1.  There’s no way that this post is going to be as good as my first one 2.  One day holograph wills are going to be replaced by hologram wills 3.  Once we’re all back in the office, it’s going to feel like the…

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Should Foundations Give More?

Charitable foundations are grappling with their response to COVID-19.  A Canadian initiative, Give5.ca, is advocating for increased granting through a time limited pledge in 2020.  Simply, the ask is for foundations to pledge to grant at least of five percent of their assets to registered charities in 2020.  That’s it….

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Court Orders Minor’s Funds be Paid into Court

Court declined to pay minor’s funds to parent; ordered proceeds of sale paid into court.

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Low- Interest Environment: Time To Take Advantage Again.

In past blogs, we discussed income splitting arrangements available to individuals who wish to loan funds to his/her lower income spouse or adult child, or in the case of minor children, a discretionary family trust. Such loans would be used to invest in income producing properties such as marketable securities,…

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A Virtual Q&A Session on Holographic Wills

Today’s blog was written by guest blogger, Anna Chen, Associate at Fasken LLP. The current pandemic has created a number of difficulties in having Wills drafted, signed and witnessed in the usual course.  As a result, we may see an increase in the number of handwritten Wills, which are commonly…

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