As some of you may know the late Leona Helmsley, a billionare, left her pet Maltese, Trouble, a $12 million trust fund. Her choice to leave this sum to her pet, was branded 3rd in Fortune’s “101 Dumbest Moments in Business” of 2007. In 2008 a court ruling reduced the trust fund for Trouble from $12 million to $2 million with the $10 million going to Helmsley’s charitable foundation. For….
Are Trusts Going to the Dogs ? Continue Reading »
Estate PlanningWhere the language of the Will is unequivocal and approved by the testator, a court will refuse to rectify a will to match the testator’s true intentions…..
Rectifying a Will based on a Testator’s True Intentions Continue Reading »
Contested wills, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, WillsBy now, most of us have tax-free savings accounts (TFSA’s). Despite some early (and perhaps ongoing) confusion on as to how they work particularly with regard to deposits and withdrawals, TFSA’s appear to be working fine for all those who have them.
Have you thought about what happens to your TSFA’s upon your death?
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Can your TSFA Survive you? Continue Reading »
Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Planning, Investments, WillsSo you reside in Canada but you’re a U.S. citizen, surely ‘Uncle Sam’ has no right to your Estate on your death. Unfortunately, regardless of whether a U.S. citizen resides in the United States, U.S. citizens are subject to U.S estate taxes when the pass away based on the value of their worldwide estate. A credit is available which does alleviate some of the tax burden by exempting a certain amount from the U.S. estate tax net…..
So you think you can avoid Uncle Sam… Continue Reading »
Estate Administration, IRS, U.S. Citizen, United StatesWhen we were teenagers and our parents allowed us to take the car, they worried about us driving. Now you are worried about them. How do you know if your parent is still able to drive safely? Should they be driving? What should you look for? Who do you contact?….
To Drive or Not To Drive Continue Reading »
Elder Care, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Geriatric Care ManagementProfessionals and lay people have no doubt been part of or heard about the increased awareness of the issues facing the elderly whether vulnerable, capable or not. Most however, are not aware of section 331 of the criminal code. ….
“A stitch in time saves time” Continue Reading »
Elder Care, Family Conflict, Power of Attorney