All About Estates

Category: Courts

Total 45 Posts

COVID-19 update: Court must not cross the line to clear up hypothetical limitation period confusion

The government suspended limitation periods between March and September due to COVID-19. The government believed that it had properly done so. Nevertheless, the government asked the court to confirm it had properly done so due to amorphous concerns that had been raised. Justice Myers dismissed this application as it would…

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Until Death Do Us Part…

This Blog was written by Angèle LeBlanc, Estate and Trust Advisor at MD Private Trust Company which is part of Scotia Wealth Management The Medical Assistance in Dying, Bill C-14 (MAiD) was enacted into law on June 17th, 2016. Since then, some of us may have heard of cases where…

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COVID-19 update: Government Works to Fix Potential Limitation Period Problem

In order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government suspended limitation periods and other statutory deadlines between March and September. However, due to concerns about the manner in which the suspension was lifted, the government is currently seeking a declaration that the limitation period was, in fact, validly suspended…

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Deleon v DeRanney and the Definition of “child” Under the SLRA

In Deleon v. DeRanney, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice awarded some dependant support to a non-biological child who was part of the deceased’s unconventional family. As blog readers may be aware, the Succession Law Reform Act (SLRA) does not require that a child be the biological offspring of the…

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Someone else’s tax bill – Sometimes there is no getting away from it!

In Dreger et al v the Queen (2020 TCC25), the beneficiaries of an estate bequest appealed assessments for unpaid taxes by the deceased. In this case, the deceased was an annuitant of a life income fund (“LIF”) and prior to his death, he designated to each of his daughters as…

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BARE TRUSTS

A bare trust, also referred to as a naked trust, exists where a person, the trustee, is merely vested with the legal title to property and has no other duty to perform or responsibilities to carry out as trustee, in relation to the property vested in the trust. The sole…

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COVID-19: Emergency Orders Extended and Courts to (Partially and Potentially) Reopen

Earlier today, the Ontario government extended all its emergency orders (including the order suspending statutory deadlines). de VRIES LITIGATION LLP brings you this special Saturday blog on this matter and other breaking developments on the justice system and COVID-19. As noted in my previous blog, the Ontario government made an…

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From e-Wills to Blockchain Estates

This blog was written by Isabelle Cadotte – Estate and Trust Consultant with Scotia Wealth Management One of the silver linings of the pandemic has been our collective rethinking of how we work and our willingness to embrace technology that helps us stay connected and work smarter. From remotely sworn…

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Video Conferencing Courtroom Etiquette – Three Simple Steps

This Blog was written by Emily Racine, Estate and Trust Consultant with Scotia Wealth Management These days we are all finding creative ways of adapting our lives to the new normal. COVID-19 has changed the landscape of all businesses, including the legal profession. With social distancing rules in place, and…

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Locating Unknown or Missing Heirs to an Estate

How should an estate trustee proceed when they cannot identify or locate all of the heirs to an estate? In some cases, a challenge arises where a will does not identify the beneficiaries by name, but by class or some other description. For example, a will may leave the residue…

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