When asking a friend for a financial favour, people often fail to document their actions and decisions as thoroughly as they should – the trust people have in their friends frequently translates into a belief that they do not need to pay attention. Regardless of whether the trust was deserved,…
Last week, the Law Commission of Ontario (“LCO”) released and presented to the provincial government, their final report reviewing Ontario’s statutory framework for legal capacity, decision-making and guardianship matters. The LCO focused on the relevant capacity provisions found in the Health Care Consent Act, the Substitute Decisions Act (“SDA”), and…
What is the limitation period for an attorney to seek compensation on a passing of accounts? In Armitage v. The Salvation Army, 2016 ONCA 971, the Court of Appeal confirmed that there is no such limitation period (although the equitable doctrine of laches and acquiescence can be asserted). In Armitage,…
Power of attorney (“POA”) documents are a way of officially granting an agent (the “attorney”) the power to manage your affairs, most commonly your finances or personal care. POAs allow the attorney to step in and handle a wide variety of issues on your behalf, whether you (the “grantor”) anticipated…
On Tuesday, September 29, I spoke at an OBA program entitled “The Family Business: Administration and Litigation of Trusts and Estates Holding Business Assets.” At the end of the program, there was an interesting discussion about the distinction between compensation for estate trustees and compensation for POAs or guardians of…
