The Will That Almost Was: When an Unsigned Will Creates Chaos

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Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Dave Madan, Senior Manager, Scotiatrust    Most of us have a mental image of what a Will looks like. It is signed at the bottom, witnessed, maybe bound in a blue backing. It sits in a filing cabinet or a safe deposit box, and when the time comes, someone pulls it out and follows the instructions. Clean. Final. Done. But what happens when there….

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Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Wills

Don’t Touch the Original!

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In Boyle v. Boyle, 2026 ONSC 4919, the court considered the validity of handwritten alterations to a will. William Robert Boyle (the “Deceased”) died on March 7, 2025. The Deceased left a typed last will and testament dated March 15, 2020. The Deceased was predeceased by his parents, had no spouse or children, and was one of 16 siblings, 9 of whom survived him. The Will left the residue to….

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Contested wills, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning

Happy Hour Freedom in Retirement Living

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four people at a table raising glass flutes in a toast

As summer draws to a close, some of our older clients and their friends are thinking about moving to a retirement home. It’s important to work through the benefits and drawbacks as well as the costs of such a move well in advance of doing so. And don’t underestimate the quality-of-life factors that are important such as socializing with others and various opportunities to engage within the community. Happy hour….

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Elder Management, Smart Ageing

Excluded Property, Estate Freezes and Family Law: What Estate Planners Need to Know After Lang-Newlands v. Newlands

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Estate planners have long viewed trusts and estate freezes as valuable tools for succession planning, tax efficiency, and family wealth preservation. However, the Ontario Court of Appeal’s recent decision in Lang-Newlands v. Newlands, 2026 ONCA 530, serves as an important reminder that family law considerations can significantly affect the intended outcomes of an estate plan. For trusts and estates practitioners, the decision highlights the limits of relying on the Family….

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Contested wills, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Spouse, Succession Planning, Trusts, Uncategorized, Wills

The Most Expensive Funeral I’ve Arranged—and the Cheapest: Things Every Executor and Testator Should Know About Funeral Costs

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Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Jo-Anne Stark, Practice Lead, Scotiatrust Western Region   One of the first responsibilities many executors face is arranging a funeral. It is often an emotionally charged task that must be completed quickly, sometimes with limited guidance from the deceased and before estate funds are readily available. As a result, the cost of a funeral can come as a surprise to both families and executors…..

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Estate Planning, Executors, Funeral Planning

What Happens When a Will is Missing an Important Clause?: Lessons From Kentros v. Kentros

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A will is intended to provide clear instructions about the distribution of a person’s property after death. But what happens when an important clause is missing? This issue was considered in Kentros v. Kentros, 2026 ONCA 546. This case is a useful reminder of the difficulties that can arise when a will does not accurately reflect a testator’s intentions and raises important questions about the limits of a court’s ability….

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Estate Administration, Wills
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