This blog post was written by: Ophely Karam, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust Montreal Common-law union has become a predominant form of partnership in the province of Quebec, distinguishing it from other provinces in Canada. In 2021, 42.7% of couples in Quebec lived in a common-law union, this is 2.5…
This blog post was written by Mohena Singh, Associate at Fasken LLP. Imagine a picturesque cottage in Shrewsbury, Ontario, a place filled with family memories and the promise of future gatherings. This cottage, however, became the centre of a legal conundrum after the passing of its owner, Floyd Kersey (“Floyd”),…
One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of working in the trusts and estates field is how different the rules can be, not just internationally, but within our national borders. For example, this week I was chatting with my Quebec colleagues about Bill 56 – An Act respecting family…
This blog post was written by Jihan Hosein, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust Northern Prairies These are a few of my favourite things… what we can learn from the famous Sound of Music song? A bowl of plastic fruit on grandma’s kitchen counter, may seem inconsequential to some- but to…
Today’s blog was written by Latoya Brown, Associate, at Fasken LLP When it comes to estate planning involving trusts, selecting the right trustee is one of the most crucial decisions. The recent case, Jones v. Jones, 2025 ONSC 695 serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities and potential pitfalls…
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…
This blog has been written by Darren Lund, Partner at Fasken LLP In Lang-Newlands v. Newlands, 2024 ONSC 6285, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice revisited the treatment of a discretionary family trust in the context of the equalization of net family property under the Ontario Family Law Act. Barbara…
This blog post was written by: Diana Leopardi, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust Montreal Love is in the air…You may now kiss the bride; these are a couple of popular phrases often used in romantic movies but what about The Hangover movie what if your client woke up one morning…
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…