“He knows where the bodies are buried” is a throwaway line from Orson Wells’ cinematic masterpiece, Citizen Kane. That line soon took on a life of its own and entered the cultural vernacular. In the world of estates, a more frequent problem is not finding the bodies but deciding where…
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…
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,…
Death is difficult to control. It has also proved impossible to avoid. However, married spouses are given greater options than the rest of us – they can choose to inherit their deceased partner’s estate under the Succession Law Reform Act or the Family Law Act. When a married spouse dies…
In the land of income taxes and income tax law, it is generally understood that a taxpayer cannot appeal another taxpayer’s assessment without legal standing to do so. This is particularly relevant when the taxpayer being assessed or re-assessed is deceased. In the Estate of Straessle v. the Queen 2018…
Estate litigators are very familiar with unique and interesting fact patterns and it is helpful to be reminded that unusual circumstances may warrant the use of somewhat uncommon remedies. Rule 45 of the Rules of Civil Procedure is one such remedy, which provides for the interim preservation of property and…
Today’s blog was co-written by Ronald Neal. In Sinclair v Harris, Justice Nakatsuru granted summary judgment on the basis that the claims advanced on behalf of the estate were statute-barred. The deceased passed away in November 2015. The Plaintiffs are the estate trustees appointed in the deceased’s will (the “Estate Trustees”). Five years…
Estate trustees be warned: you may be held personally liable for failure to pay the estate’s taxes and/or the tax arrears of the deceased. When estate trustees are advised of this fact by their lawyers, pains are taken to soften the blow. CRA tends to be more blunt. Following the…
I am in the middle of a very difficult Canada Revenue Agency audit of a taxpayer’s claim for the principal residence exemption. It now appears the property in question, built by my client some 25 years ago may not qualify for the full exemption due to the fact that the…
Today’s blog was written by Justin W. de Vries and Jacob Kaufman A will need not be probated. The power of an estate trustee derives from the will itself. However, in certain cases, a grant of probate (now awkwardly called a certificate of appointment of estate trustee with a will)…
