One of the duties of an estate trustee is to respond to litigation brought against the estate. The estate trustee is also the only person with the authority to start litigation on behalf of the estate. Because estates are not legal entities such as corporations, the party to the litigation…
In my blog Probate Points to Remember – A.K.A. Names and More – All About Estates of October 16, 2020, I shared from my list of “Probate Points to Remember”. I provided tips regarding how to name individuals, including the deceased, executors and beneficiaries, such as when using “also known…
As I have prepared applications for certificates of appointment of estate trustee (“Probate Applications”) over the years, I have kept a list that I call “Probate Points to Remember”. The purpose of this list is to remind me of how I have handled certain practical matters on Probate Applications. In…
I would like to thank the estates law clerks in the Private Client Services group of Fasken for their contributions to this blog. This week, Attorney General Doug Downey (perhaps in the spirit of Thanksgiving) hinted at upcoming changes in the area of estates that would “manage the estate process…
Each province in Canada establishes its own rules regarding the distribution of property where a person dies without a will. In Ontario, intestate succession is governed by Part II of the Succession Law Reform Act (the “SLRA”). Inheritance on intestacy is limited to married spouses and blood relations. If a…
Learning that a loved one or friend who has passed away has left a gift for you in their Will, can be expected or in some cases, it can come as a surprise. You may be entitled to either (i) a legacy which can be in the form of a…
If structuring an estate plan across different Canadian jurisdictions didn’t raise enough considerations for an estate planner, add a different legal system to the mix, namely, Quebec’s civil law. This post focuses on the estate-planning advantages available to clients who hold assets both in Ontario and Quebec, specifically the advantage…
A lot has been written about how should choose an executor, and some of it in this blog place. A couple of years ago, fellow boggler Emily Hubling wrote eloquently about the risk and rewards of appointing a professional advisor as executor. I would like to revisit some of the…
Unhappily, it is not uncommon for family members to be at loggerheads as to who controls the body of a loved one and whether the body should be cremated or buried. I previously blogged on the 2018 case Miller v. Miller, a decision by Justice Myers of the ONSC, which…
Regular court operations and limitation periods/statutory deadlines continue to be suspended in Ontario due to COVID-19 (as discussed further in my previous blog). However, this does not mean that litigation is somehow frozen or that deadlines in previous court orders do not apply. One party learned this painful lesson in…
