The Rippling Effects of Calmusky v. Calmusky In March of 2020, Lococo J.’s decision in Calmusky v. Calmusky made waves in Ontario’s legal community. (For this reason, it was included in our top 20 estate law cases of 2020. An excellent summary and analysis of that decision by my colleague…
What is Hotchpot? In estates law, “hotchpot” is a legal term of art.[1] It is an umbrella term that covers a few related concepts (e.g., a hotchpot clause, common law presumptions of hotchpot, intestacy legislation on the same). In essence, the purpose of hotchpot is to prevent one beneficiary from…
Dear readers, As you might recall, last April (of 2020) was the height of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario. As part of our government’s efforts to keep Ontarians safe while still allowing access to justice, an emergency order was brought at that time to allow virtual…
We know that a suicide note can constitute a valid will in British Columbia, and possibly in Ontario. However, can a will written on a paper napkin from a McDonald’s restaurant be a valid will in Saskatchewan? This was interesting issue was addressed in Gust v. Langan. The Facts Six…
