All About Estates

Category: Elder Care

Total 373 Posts

Navigating Mental Capacity and Guardianship in Ontario’s Estates Law: Lessons from Francois v. Francois, 2025 ONSC 589

By: Maddi Thomas, associate and Sukhman Sangha, articling student Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP   Mental capacity continues to be a growing area of focus in estates law. Capacity, defined under the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992 (“SDA”) as the ability to understand and appreciate decision consequences, is assessed through medical and…

Continue Reading

Suffering In Silence: A Closer Look at Elder Abuse

This blog post was written by Dave Madan, Senior Manager, Scotiatrust Elder abuse remains one of the most underreported and misunderstood social issues, often concealed beneath the veneer of familial obligations and trust-based relationships. For professionals, understanding the intricate dimensions of elder abuse is not only a matter of professional…

Continue Reading

Elder Care Gaps In Divorce And Blended Families

Elder care gaps occur as family structures change, and there may be unanticipated and challenging consequences. For parents who have long divorced, those who have remarried, and those with blended families, this may mean that adult children are now dealing with three or more parents and stepparents. As the caregiver…

Continue Reading

Who holds the burden of proof when undue influence is claimed?

In the estates context, undue influence is often alleged in order to challenge a will or an inter vivos transfer of property, often a family home or cottage. When a party in a legal dispute alleges that there was undue influence which party bears the burden of proving (or disproving)…

Continue Reading

Controversies in Substitute Decision-Making Concerning Shelter for Alternate Level of Care Patients

Recently, an elderly patient suffering from moderate-to-advanced stage dementia, with behavioural complications, was hospitalized on a psychiatric admission. The patient, who was declared incapable to consent to treatment, was initially held involuntarily under the Mental Health Act, RSO 1990, C M.7 (the “MHA”). The patient had appointed a cousin as…

Continue Reading

Insights into Resolving Care Disputes – POAs for Personal Care – Part 3

On June 20, 2024, I attended the annual Ontario Bar Association’s Elder Law Day, where several informative presentations noted the rise in personal care disputes. Speakers also explored approaches that lawyers might consider to manage these disputes. The presentations triggered me to write about common issues we see related to…

Continue Reading