Today’s blog was written by Courtney Lanthier, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP I’ve had a few instances where clients have asked “is this really my LAST will, or will I be doing this all over again in five or ten years?” which, in fairness, is a great question. As estate…
Category: Estate Planning
Total 805 Posts
This blog has been written by Sandra Arsenault, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP As our fellow blog writer, Audrey Miller wrote earlier this week (here), new Census data indicates that the number of seniors over age 85 is expected to triple in the next 25 years. Could this be an…
Today’s blog was written by Yvonne Mazurak, Associate, at Fasken LLP As my colleagues, Sandra Arsenault and Betty Laidlaw, have both described in posts earlier this year, Ontario Regulation 709/21 introduced significant changes to the probate procedure. Among the changes, which came into effect on January 1, 2022, was the…
I have found it uncommon for a family member or beneficiary to exert undue influence to pressure a patient to pursue MAiD. What worries me is the vulnerability of patients to undue influence from physicians who may embrace therapeutic nihilism and bias patients unduly towards MAiD. I suggest that, for capacity to consent to MAiD, the test of “ability to appreciate” should be expanded to require an appreciation of the views and wishes of supportive family members and friends.
“To my grandchildren…” Sometimes, a testator will leave testamentary gifts to an undefined class of people, rather than to beneficiaries by name. Gifts might be left to “my children” or “my grandchildren” or even “the children of my niece” without any further specifications in the will[1]. This practice raises a…
When I explain to people whom I’m meeting for the first time that I’m a lawyer and that among my areas of practice I draft domestic contracts, I’m often met with a response to the effect of “You mean, like, a pre-nup?” I can confirm that a “pre-nup” is, in…
A recent Court of Appeal decision, Walters v Walters, 2022 ONCA 38, addresses a trustee’s requirement to give effect to a testator or settlor’s intentions when exercising discretion with respect to distributions from a discretionary trust. At issue was whether the trustees had improperly relied on extraneous or irrelevant factors…
An estate trustee does not have an obligation to provide a contingent beneficiary with an accounting; nonetheless, some form of accounting is generally done at the request of a contingent beneficiary. If accounts are not provided, a contingent beneficiary may bring an application to compel an estate trustee to pass…
Today’s blog was written by Najib Painda, Wills & Estates Law Clerk at Fasken LLP As you may know, the purpose of a Codicil is to effect minor changes within an existing Estate plan without the need to create a whole new Will. In today’s age of technology, where…
It has been two months since the new process and forms for obtaining a Certificate of Appointment (probate grant) came into effect at the beginning of the year under Ontario Regulation 709/21. As my colleague, Sandra Arsenault, wrote in her blog “The new amendments, which come into effect as of…