This blog post was written by Alicia Mossington, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust London Executors in Ontario are often required to obtain a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee (colloquially and historically referred to as “probate”). Although Estate Administration Tax (“probate tax”) is applicable across many jurisdictions in Canada, it…
This blog post was written by: Alicia Mossington, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust London Historically in Ontario, a Last Will and Testament was required to meet strict formal validity requirements to be considered valid. The requirements set out in the Succession Law Reform Act required a Will to be in…
Law school requires reading an abundance of case law. I am sure that most lawyers have a few memorable cases that standout from their time in class (Lord Denning; the ginger beer snail etc.). There are cases that have stood the test of time; cases that caused a momentous shift…
This article is written by Alicia Mossington, Estate and Trust Consultant with Scotiatrust. A Power of Attorney for Property is a document which allows an individual (grantor) to appoint and authorize a substitute decision maker. In Ontario, the substitute decision maker is referred to as an “attorney.” The named…
This Blog was written by: Alicia Mossington (Godin), Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotia Wealth Management What happens if a beneficiary believes that a trustee is acting improperly, or refuses to distribute funds? United States Senator Dianne Feinstein is suing the trustees of a fund set up by her late husband,…
This Blog was written by: Alicia Mossington (Godin), Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotia Wealth Management An estate trustee, also known as an executor, is responsible for administering the estate of the deceased and carrying out the terms of the Will (or other testamentary documentation). The recent article by Rebecca Studin titled…
This Blog was written by: Alicia Mossington (Godin), Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotia Wealth Management The British royal family has been in the news frequently over the past 18 months: from the deaths of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II to the crowning of King Charles and the release of Prince…
This Blog was written by: Alicia Mossington (Godin), Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotia Wealth Management A trustee is responsible for carrying out the terms of a trust. Choosing the right trustee is essential to the success of any estate plan but it is also incredibly helpful to give them tools and…
This Blog was written by: Alicia Mossington (Godin), Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotia Wealth Management “Fraud is the most frequently reported banking issue across all age groups.”[1] In 2021 more than 100,000 cases of fraud were reported by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre with over $380 million dollars lost.[2] These numbers only…
This Blog was written by: Alicia Mossington (Godin), Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotia Wealth Management My colleagues have written several recent articles on capacity. “Capacity” is an interesting area of law and the test for capacity differs radically depending on the subject and setting. Testamentary capacity or capacity to make a…