All About Estates

Category: Courts

Total 45 Posts

Limitation Periods and Fraudulent Concealment

Missing a limitation period can be highly detrimental to any case. But, what happens when the party simply does not know he or she has a claim, as a result of the conduct of another? This issue, among others, was addressed in the recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision, Beaudoin…

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#FreeBritney: Toxic, Conservatorships, and Guardianship Abuse

This blog was written by Raluca Gondor You may know Britney Spears for her hit songs like Piece of Me, Toxic, and Criminal. But lurking behind a wildly successful career is a darker aspect of her life, one that may be foreshadowed by her song titles: Britney Spears’ conservatorship. Since…

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No Costs For You!

The recent case of Donovan v. MacKenzie, 2021 ONSC 1865 (CanLII) demonstrates the wide and sometimes unpredictable nature of a judge’s discretion when it comes to costs. In this guardianship dispute, the applicant sister (“Jacqueline”) and the respondent brother (“Kieran”) were embroiled in litigation relating to their father, John Kenneth…

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COVID-19 Update: Court Hearings To Be Deferred

I previously blogged about Chief Justice Morawetz’s December 29, 2020 Notice to the Profession that that all non-jury matters shall proceed virtually unless it is absolutely necessary for the matter to be conducted in person. Chief Justice Morawetz now has put forward a new Notice to the Profession dated April…

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Inheritance and Tax

There is renewed discussion on whether Canada will become another jurisdiction where specific gift or estate taxes will be imposed on inheritances. There is speculation that the discussion will lead to something concrete as early as next week’s Federal Budget. In the meantime, there are situations where inheritances can come…

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MAID Update – Bill C-7

The senate has passed Bill C-7, which introduces changes to Canada’s Criminal Code provisions regulating MAID. The changes will create a new, two-track system for applying for MAID.

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An ETDL will continue to act until all appeals exhausted

I previously blogged about the case of Gefen v. Gaertner where the Court of Appeal quashed an appeal regarding an estate trustee during litigation (ETDL) and punted the matter to the Divisional Court. Now this estate has generated another appeal regarding the ETDL – this time properly brought before the…

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Big New Rules for Small Estates

The law in Canada is not static – it evolves and changes to meet our society’s needs through incremental changes to the common law (i.e. the application and interpretation of the law through the courts) and through legislative changes. One recent change to Ontario’s laws was made through the Smarter…

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COVID-19 Update: No Adjournment of Virtual Trial

I previously blogged about Chief Justice Morawetz’s new Notice to the Profession (effective December 29, 2020) that that all non-jury matters shall proceed virtually unless it is absolutely necessary for the matter to be conducted in person. This Notice to the Profession has now been applied in Flying E. Ranche…

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When Are You Married?

Most know that you don’t have to be legally married to have a “spouse” for income tax purposes, although legal marriage will work. If you have been living with someone in a conjugal relationship for 12 months or more regardless of your sex at birth, you will be considered spouses…

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