Elaine Blades

Comprehensive Advice for Executors

•

I recently received an email from the member services department of the Canadian Bar Association which began as follows: “30% of our clients are lawyers that accept personal executor appointments. If it’s good for the lawyer, shouldn’t you tell your estate executor clients that it’s good for them, too?” The “it” in question is Estate Administration Insurance (or Executor Insurance). The language of the communication is pretty provocative: “executor risk….

Comprehensive Advice for Executors Continue Reading »

Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Executors, Family Conflict

What happens when you put a ring on it?

•

Saturday’s Toronto Star featured an article on a marriage “predator”.  The article tells the sad story of an 89 year old man – Charlie – who married a 65 year old woman  – Galina – because she promised to look after him and ensure he’d never have to move to a nursing home.  They essentially struck a deal:  caretaking in exchange for a mention in the Will.  Charlie was not….

What happens when you put a ring on it? Continue Reading »

Elder Law, Estate Planning

Good news on the aging brain

•

The, seemingly constant, flow of bad news about aging bodies and brains can be depressing.  On this site alone I’ve read many  chilling facts and statistics on matters impacting our aging population.  The prevalence of depression, the frequency and potentially dire consequences of falls and how the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s or a related dementia increases exponentially as we age into our “senior” years, are just some examples that spring quickly to mind. So, it was with great interest….

Good news on the aging brain Continue Reading »

Estate Planning

Recognize, Reject and Report!

•

March is fraud prevention month.  Fraud is an equal opportunity crime. Fraud targets individuals of all ages, ethnicities and walks of life.  Businesses large and small can also fall victim.  That being said, seniors are particularly vulnerable.  Fraud is the leading type of crime experienced by older Canadians. According to the Government of Canada, at a site titled  What every older Canadian should know about: Fraud and scams, seniors are….

Recognize, Reject and Report! Continue Reading »

Elder Care, Estate Planning

Don’t let inheritance issues tear your family apart

•

I was recently drawn to the Life section of the Toronto Star –  more specifically the “advice column” – by a compellling headline; to wit: “Don’t let inheritance issues tear your family apart”.  So far, sound advice. However, the author went on to provide some inaccurate information on Powers of Attorney to the “upset granddaughter” who’s concerned about another family member’s “dwindling the inheritance for myself and other relatives”.   Although the readership….

Don’t let inheritance issues tear your family apart Continue Reading »

Capacity Law, Estate Planning, Family Conflict

I will survive, then again, you may survive

•

 A testator should, for the most part, be able to read and comprehend the terms of his or her Will. Yet even a Will drafted in so called “plain English” may contain a couple of terms or phrases (“issue”, “per stirpes”, “in specie”) with special meaning and/or not used in everyday discourse. Likewise most well-drafted Wills contain a number of clauses the purpose or meaning of which may not be….

I will survive, then again, you may survive Continue Reading »

Estate Planning
Scroll to Top