Written by Kelsey Buchmayer, associate with the Ottawa office of Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP An insurer should not necessarily require a probated Will to release the proceeds of a life insurance policy. Section 203 of the Insurance Act[1] sets out that upon receipt of “sufficient evidence”, an insurance company should…
This article discusses, at a high-level, estate administration in China and some considerations when someone inherit assets located in China. As mentioned in my previous article, planning for cross-border estate administration with China is complex thus, I must admit the information is general in nature and based on my personal…
Today’s blog was written by Karen La Caprara, Counsel, at Fasken LLP. In my last blog post “Modern Families: References to Children and Issue in Wills – All About Estates”, I discussed the meaning of “children” and “issue” for the purpose of determining the beneficiaries of an estate where…
Today’s blog was written by Karen La Caprara, Counsel, at Fasken LLP. Like many modern families, the fictional Pritchett family in the series “Modern Family” has a variety of personalities, family dynamics and relationships, traditional and modern viewpoints. The many possible iterations and permutations of what makes a family…
Recently, the world learned of the passing of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa in what appeared to very strange circumstances. Initially, there were concerns that their deaths may have been as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. Autopsy reports have later revealed that this is not the…
Today’s blog was written by Jessica Butler, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP. Managing and distributing household contents in an estate can be a daunting task, filled with both emotional and practical challenges. In this blog, we’ll explore the essential steps and considerations for handling household items in an estate, from…
I was intrigued by this group chat that one of my colleagues sent last Friday: “FYI – Just saw this – Beginning March 3, 2025, you can file your Estate Information Return online using the Ministry of Finance’s online services webpage at https://www.services.fin.gov.on.ca/OTP/Gentax/_/. Effective February 26, 2025, you will no…
Much has been written on All About Estates on the topic of missing heirs – how to find them, and what to do if you can’t. But what happens if you have missing assets? Perhaps you’ve been appointed as an executor of an estate where you have very little information…
This blog post was written by Mohena Singh, Associate at Fasken LLP. An important question a person has to answer when planning their estate is, “who will be the estate trustee?” Sometimes this decision is taken lightly or a person may gravitate towards an obvious answer – “my spouse” or…
When an entrepreneur dies owning shares or an interest in a foreign corporation, the executor is faced with a challenging situation. An estate with ownership or an interest in a foreign corporation raises specific and complex tax rules that leave the executor and family members hoping the deceased has a…