All About Estates

Rebecca Studin

Total 44 Posts Website
Rebecca Studin was called to the Bar in 2009. Before joining de VRIES LITIGATION LLP, Rebecca practised estates and commercial litigation at a full-service international law firm in Toronto. Rebecca’s estates experience includes will interpretation applications, will rectification applications, solicitor’s negligence actions, and other estates and trusts matters. Rebecca obtained her law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School after earning her honours bachelor of arts degree from Glendon College, York University. Following her call to the Bar, Rebecca was selected as a Fox Scholar and spent a year training as a barrister at the Middle Temple, Inns of Court, in London, UK. More of Rebecca's blogs can be found at https://devrieslitigation.com/author/rstudin/

A Fiduciary Must Always Account

In the recent decision of The Estate of Joan R. McAteer, deceased, 2025 ONSC 1197, the Court outlined an attorney for property’s fiduciary obligations to account to the beneficiaries of the incapable person’s estate upon their death. When John Joseph McAteer died, attorneys for property managed the assets of his…

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To Trust or Not to Trust?

This blog was written by Ruth Paul, student-at-law The recent decision in May v. Alsousi et al., 2025 ONSC 795 (CanLII) reiterates that when establishing a trust, attention should be paid to the legal requirements of that particular trust, as failure to do so risks denying a beneficiary access to…

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In Care of Yvette Poirier v. Estate of Paul Poirier, 2025 ONSC 0482, the Court considered an application to set aside the conveyance of a home from a mother to her son , on the basis that the mother lacked capacity and was subject to undue influence. In an unusual…

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A Tale of Two Limitation Periods

In Ingram v. Kulynych Estate, 2024 ONCA 678, the Court of Appeal for Ontario considered the appropriate limitation period where two different limitation periods were applicable and apparently in conflict in relation to a claim against an estate. Background Henry Kulynych died in February 2017. In his Will, Mr. Kulynych…

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The End of Zoom Wills?

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…

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