Estate Administration

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Key Findings Relating to the Exercise of Trustee Discretion

A view over an old stone fence into a cemetary, framed by an abundance of trees in full leaf.

The recent case of Karrow v. Boghosian, 2026 ONSC 2425 (CanLII) is a detailed decision which warrants a thorough review. This blog will focus on the key takeaways from the case, which focussed on the duties of trustees in exercising discretion in administrating a testamentary trust. The applicant estate trustees brought an application to pass their accounts. The respondent Jordan Boghosian (“Jordan”) raised objections to the accounts and maintained that….

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Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Executors, Family Conflict, Passing Of Trustees’ and Executors’ Accounts, Trustee, Trustee Disputes, Trusts, Uncategorized

A Novel Approach to Locating Missing Heirs

Much has been written on All About Estates about “missing” elements in an estate administration – missing assets, missing heirs, and even missing estate trustees. In the case of missing heirs, the executors have an obligation to take reasonable steps to locate the beneficiaries of the estate. Executors cannot simply distribute the estate to those beneficiaries who are easy to find, or assume that missing beneficiaries do not exist. While….

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Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Executors, Trustee

The Stages of an Estate Administration – Part 2

Today’s blog was written by Courtney Lanthier, Law Clerk at Fasken. In my previous blog, I discussed the initial steps to take when someone passes away, including obtaining essential details about the deceased, determining whether a Will exists and preparing a summary of the Will contents. Once this “background information” is complete, it’s time to move on to stage two – dealing with the assets and gathering information. This includes….

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Estate Administration

Estate Trustee Compensation

Scotiatrust

Taking on the role of an estate trustee can be a difficult one. The tasks typically involve gathering in and managing assets, determining liabilities, and moving the administration of an estate forward until it is time to distribute the net assets to the beneficiaries. While there is a general principle that an estate should be wrapped up within 1 year (also known as the “executor’s year”), completing the administration of….

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Compensation, Courts, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Trustee, Trustee Compensation

The Liquidator: The Central Player in Quebec Succession Disputes

This blog has been written by Frédéric Barriault, Counsel, and Yoni Feingold, Partner, at Fasken LLP In Quebec’s civil law tradition, the liquidator occupies a central institutional role in the administration and litigation of successions. The legal framework governing this role draws principally from two sets of rules: the regime of liquidation of successions and the regime of administration of the property of others. Together, these systems create a coherent….

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Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Executors, Succession Planning, Wills

Estate Trustee Renunciation and Resignation: Accounting Obligations and Liability Considerations

Today’s Post is by Ashley Thornton, Articling Student, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP When an estate trustee steps down from their role, whether voluntarily or by removal, they face a critical question: what obligations remain, and what risks do they carry forward? The transition out of a trusteeship is not simply a matter of handing over the keys. In Ontario, departing trustees must navigate procedural requirements, accounting duties, and potential liability….

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Estate Administration, Passing Of Trustees’ and Executors’ Accounts
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