It is widely known by estate litigation lawyers that the courts are clogged with disputes, often leading to lengthy delays in the obtaining hearing or trial dates. Summary judgment is one way that the courts can decide cases efficiently. To achieve a just result, a lengthy trial with oral testimony…
In order for a Will to be valid, the testator must sign in the document in the presence of two witnesses. During the COVID lockdown, numerous jurisdictions, including Ontario, enacted emergency legislation permitting the virtual or video commissioning of Wills. These measures enabled the testator’s signature on the Will to…
Canadians often misunderstand (or are unaware) that the U.S. estate tax may apply to their estate. Indeed, if a Canadian dies owning U.S. situs assets with a gross value exceeding USD $60,000, their estate will have to file a U.S. estate tax return and, depending on the worldwide fair market…
Moving a household from one place to another is near the top of the stress scale for most of us. With a rapidly aging population, families may consider moving an elderly person from one part of the country to another for various reasons. Major moves are disruptive and bring substantial…
Pictured: A screen grab from the music video for “Only Acting” by Kero Kero Bonito. It’s one of my favourite songs. It’s not quite about video wills, but it does show off some of the challenges of recording oneself. What are Video Wills? Some practitioners have floated the idea of…
I may be ghoulish, but I think not. I am quite interested in talking about death and dying. I’m the daughter of a former hospice nurse, a former student of a high school teacher who spent an entire term teaching about death and dying as part of a world religions…
*This blog was researched and authored by Jonathon Vander Zee, who is an articling student with de VRIES LITIGATION LLP. There are many different kinds of support that can be sought as relief in a legal proceeding, such as child support, spousal support, and dependant’s support. These types of support…
This blog has been written by Maddi Thomas, Associate at Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP Beneficiary designations are commonly used by individuals to allow registered retirement savings plans (“RRSP”) and other savings accounts to “pass outside of the estate”, i.e., be distributed or transferred outright to a surviving co-owner; or, in…
Everyone knows the tragic Shakespeare tale of how Juliet awakens from her “death” to discover that her love Romeo had taken his life, believing that Juliet had really died. Juliet, in her own state of sorrow, stabs herself with a dagger and is joined forever with her love Romeo. This…
Canadian donors who wish to support foreign charities and international charitable initiatives have historically had limited options. While there are about 3,000 registered charities with international activities and another 700 foreign universities with qualified donee status, there are coverage gaps. It’s a big world with lots of needs. Starting in…
