This Bog was written by; Sally Lee Is Priority Given to a Spouse/Common Law Partner to be an Executor in an Intestacy? No, but I can understand why this misconception exists. Subsection 29(1) of the Estates Act creates the confusion by naming the surviving spouse/common law partner before the next…
One of my favorite routines on my annual summer vacation is to read the local news. Regular readers of this Blog may not be surprised that the story which caught my eye this summer was about an Estate. Richard M. Grant, a life-long farmer, known as the “The Corn King”…
This Blog was written by Liz Bozek, The recent claim filed by Renata Ford challenging the executors of the estate of her late husband, Rob Ford, and the subsequent election of her former brother-in-law (and the subject of that claim), Doug Ford, got me thinking about some of the similarities…
This Blog was written by: Peter Meitanis Here’s a question you never thought you would read in an estates blog: Where’s the unibrow? Last month, Mattel, the maker of Barbie introduced a group of new dolls based on real-life figures to celebrate International Women’s Day. The collection features inspiring women…
Written by: Natalie Bender A couple of weeks ago, I posted a blog about Harper Lee’s estate. You may recall that the author of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ passed away in 2016, and that the New York Times recently filed a motion to remove the Sealing Order on Probate…
This Blog was written by: Natalie Bender For many of us, Harper Lee’s acclaimed novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” was a staple on our high school reading list (and was likely one we re-visited in university). The novel is a Pulitzer Prize winner, and has become a classic in…
This Blog was written by : Peter Meitanis In a battle that dates back to the Medieval Ages, two bitter rivals are back at it again. The location of the latest bout is British Columbia’s Court of Appeal. Get your popcorn ready folks. Trust law is out for blood,…
This Blog was written by: Liz Bozek Most countries, including Canada, have anti-money laundering (AML) policies, and many require that all financial institutions strictly abide by those policies to support efforts against financial crime. At the heart of these compliance measures is the ever-increasing need that institutions and professionals know…
This is my 8th annual year end investment review for Trusts. As I have indicated in the past, Trustees are accountable for a prudent investment policy. This includes a review of the performance of the investments in the Trust. For Trusts that hold a portfolio of marketable securities, a fundamental…
In my Blog last week I talked about how much I like some of the American traditions like Thanksgiving. What could be more American than a beloved Norman Rockwell painting. Earlier this month the Massachusetts Court of Appeal blocked the auction of 2 Norman Rockwell paintings, which had a combined…