All About Estates

Category: Executors

Total 294 Posts

Administering an Estate: A Marathon of Responsibilities

We had a Zoom call with our adult children a few weekends ago. We talked about our son’s engagement, as our daughter hadn’t yet heard the details of how he had proposed. We also talked about our daughter’s recent 5K run at the Toronto Zoo and how it compared to…

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Will Challenges and Limitation Periods: Court of Appeal Weighs In

The question of whether will challenges fall under the standard two-year limitation period has long been a topic of consideration in lower courts[1]. Does the limitation clock start ticking at the date of death, upon discovering the existence of another will, or when there is knowledge of both the existence and content of another will? The Court of Appeal has finally spoken on the issue … well, sort of.

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The Importance of the U.S. Federal Transfer Certificate

Canadians often misunderstand (or are unaware) that the U.S. estate tax may apply to their estate.  Indeed, if a Canadian dies owning U.S. situs assets with a gross value exceeding USD $60,000, their estate will have to file a U.S. estate tax return and, depending on the worldwide fair market…

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Firearms, Wills, Estates, and the impact of Bill C-21

Bill C-21- An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms)   This blog has been written by Sandra Arsenault, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP Estates practitioners should be aware that Bill C-21, the controversial legislation which imposes strict gun control provisions Canada-wide, received Royal Assent…

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New Year, New Will – and Other Important Moments to Revisit Planning

Happy 2024  everyone! The start of a new year is often the impetus for individuals to revisit their estate plan.[1]  While this is a worthwhile exercise, it’s important to remember that there are several other key moments that may occur at any point during a given year that should give…

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Navigating Challenging Holiday Experiences and Estate Planning: A Balanced Approach

This blog has been written by Jessica J. Butler, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP. The holiday season can be a time for joy, love, and togetherness – it can also be a time for drama, stress, and conflict. Simmering tensions at family gatherings can cause situations that sometimes leave lasting…

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Executors: Holiday Elf or Grinch?

                                             Photo Credit: Universal Pictures This blog has been written by Sandra Arsenault, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP If you are the lucky (or more often unlucky) person appointed…

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Can a Disbarred Lawyer be an Executor?

In Re James Estate, 2023 ONSC 6432, the Court considered whether a disbarred lawyer could act as the estate trustee of an estate.

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Section 116 and Capital Distributions by Trust to Non-Resident

When a trust makes a capital distribution to a non-resident beneficiary, the beneficiary is deemed to have disposed of a part or the whole of their capital interest in the trust.[2] Where the capital interest in the trust is “taxable Canadian property” (“TCP”),[3] the vendor of the TCP (i.e. the beneficiary who is deemed to be “disposing” of their interest in the trust) must apply for a clearance certificate from the Canada Revenue Agency (the “CRA”) under section 116, either in advance of the disposition or within 10 days of the disposition.

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Will We Need to Start Remembering the “Right to be Forgotten”?

Pictured: Some myosotis flowers; colloquially known as “forget-me-nots”. I thought these would be appropriate for this blog post. In the estate planning world, we often see clients who want to be remembered for generations to come. For example, this could be through establishing a charitable gift, trust or foundation in…

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