All About Estates

Peter Meitanis

Total 29 Posts Website

Dead People Who Make More Money Than You

Imagine this – You’re front row center in your red leather jacket. The King of Pop is thrilling the crowd. He moonwalks so close to your seat that you can touch him. But you can’t. It’s a Michael Jackson hologram. You spent half your paycheck to watch a hologram perform….

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Unjust Enrichment – The Supreme Court’s Naughty List

They see you when you’re sleeping, they know when you’re awake. They’re ready to decide if you’ve been unjustly enriched, so be good for goodness sake. The Supreme Court of Canada is coming to town. The Supreme Court of Canada in their festive/ceremonial robes [Not pictured – Santa Claus]  …

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Democracy – The Right to Vote for a Dead Guy

A dead Republican pimp has won a state assembly seat in Nevada – How’s that for an attention-grabbing opening? Election season in the U.S. has wrapped and it turns out that as much as we wanted to, Canadians were not allowed to vote. But this is an estates blog after…

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My First and Only (Kind of) Experience with the Declarations of Death Act

  This blog was written by Sally Lee, LLB – Estate and Trust Consultant with Scotia Wealth Management. When I was in private practice, I worked on a probate file where the deceased was declared dead pursuant to subsection 2(5) of the Ontario Declarations of Death Act.  He was missing…

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Have You Considered Your RESP in Your Estate Plan?

This Blog was written by: Alicia Godin, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust A Registered Education Savings Plan (an “RESP”), is a type of tax deferred savings plan that parents, grandparents and other adults can open to save for the cost of a beneficiary’s post-secondary education. The beneficiary of an RESP…

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Out-of-Date? You Could be Out of Luck!

          This Blog was written by: Emily Racine It is a hard truth that after a client confirms they have a will done, the first comment to follow is often “but it was done years ago”. The reality is that even when clients have a will,…

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Buffy the Vampire (Slayer Rule)

Halloween is right around the corner, so today’s blog post is taking an ominous turn. Informal Reader Poll: What’s scarier? a) A horror movie that’s been remade three times b) Having to remake a client’s will for the third time Now to the fun stuff….. There’s a general principle in…

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The Importance of Being Original

This Blog was written by: Emily Racine   As we know, the statistics are less than ideal for the number of Canadians who have a will let alone a recently updated one. That being said, having a will is not enough – it is important to have the original will….

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e-Signed, Sealed, Delivered….and Legal

Earlier this week, the Law Commission in the UK confirmed that electronic signatures can be used to sign formal legal contracts under English law. John Hancock is rolling over in his grave. In England and Wales, the Law Commission is an independent legal advisor set up by Parliament to review laws and recommend reforms. The Commission has issued…

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