Fasken – Page 6 – All About Estates

Paws and Plans: Securing your Pet’s Future

Fasken • May 9, 2025 • 0 Comments

Today’s blog was written by Courtney Lanthier, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP. In recent years, I have noticed an increase in the younger generations (specifically my millennial generation) opting to have pets instead of children. This shift can be seen as a result of many economic factors and has ultimately redefined the traditional definition of family. So if pets are effectively “taking the place of” children, shouldn’t they receive similar….

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Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills

The Rising Cost of Not Living and the CPP Death Benefit

Fasken • May 2, 2025 • 2 Comments

This blog has been written by Sandra Arsenault, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP. On January 1, 2025, amendments to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Death Benefit came into effect, introducing a top-up for eligible deceased individuals. While this reform is long-overdue, the net benefit overall for most individuals still fails to cover the costs of even the most basic death expenses in 2025. The majority of Canadians will continue to….

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Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors

Scheming With a Purpose

Fasken • April 25, 2025 • 0 Comments

This week’s blog has been written by Darren Lund In Ontario, as in most common law jurisdictions, charitable gifts are treated differently than other gifts in important ways. One of the clearest examples of this is that a gift for a charitable purpose will generally not fail for uncertainty. In addition, the court’s inherent “scheme-making power” may save a charitable gift where the charitable purpose cannot be carried out, or….

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Charitable Giving, Courts, Estate Donations, Estate Planning, Wills

The Importance of Choosing the Right Trustee: Lessons from Jones v. Jones

Fasken • April 11, 2025 • 0 Comments

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 involved in trust administration. This case underscores the importance of choosing a trustee who is not only knowledgeable and capable….

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Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Trustee, Trustee Disputes, Trusts, Wills

Modern Families: Children and Issue in Jay Pritchett’s Will

Fasken • April 4, 2025 • 0 Comments

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 a Will refers to such classes of beneficiaries. I applied the applicable Ontario legislation to some of the characters from….

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Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Wills

Modern Families: References to Children and Issue in Wills

Fasken • March 28, 2025 • 0 Comments

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 is a beautiful thing. But, it can also create complexity when it comes to defining who is and who is….

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Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Wills