Justin de Vries

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Justin has been consistently named as one of the Best Lawyers in Canada/Trusts & Estates. He is an accomplished litigator who has appeared before all levels of the Ontario Court & the Federal Court of Canada. Justin's areas of expertise include: estate, trust, and capacity litigation, as well as probate applications and estate administration. He regularly speaks on estate, trust and capacity issues. Email: jdevries@devrieslitigation.com

Thoughts on Litigating in a Pandemic

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We are now several weeks into self-isolation, physical distancing, and working from home. Litigating is certainly not top of mind for most people. Moreover, the courts are operating under a limited schedule and will continue restricting the number of matters moving forward well into the summer (jury trials, for example, won’t begin until September 2020 and certain matters will be given priority over others). Many private mediations have been postponed….

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Estate Litigation, In the News, Practice Management

Dueling Love Letters from the Grave

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“The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, It isn’t just one of your holiday games; You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.” T.S. Eliot died in 1965. However, the great American/English poet has been in the news of late not because of the movie Cats, which generally garnered poor reviews and some derision (the….

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In the News

The New Simplified Procedure Rule (Rule 76)

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Since it was enacted in 1996, Rule 76 of the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure has provided for a simplified procedure to streamline claims of relatively modest monetary value. The goal remains to reduce legal costs and speed up the administration of justice. The Government of Ontario made significant changes to the simplified procedure rule effective January 1, 2020 in an effort to increase claims proceeding under Rule 76. These….

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Estate Litigation, In the News, Practice Management

“Death be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so…” – John Donne

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It is never easy when a loved one dies. Only adding to one’s grief is the fact that the administrative tasks to deal with a death can be complicated. There is any number of loose-ends to address and specific steps to take to bring finality to a life well-lived…..

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Caregiving, Elder Care, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors, Funeral Planning, Geriatric Care Management, Spouse, Succession Planning

Celebrity Estates – Not Immune from the Trials and Tribulations of Estate Planning and Litigation

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With TIFF in full swing, celebrity worship is in overdrive. However, celebrities also deal with the mundane and there is often nothing glamorous about their estates. In fact, like the rest of us mere mortals, celebrities do not have a lock on getting things right. So often, there is so much money sloshing around, coupled with the absence of a properly drawn will, that estate fights are inevitable. Michael Jackson’s….

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Contested wills, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Executors, Family Conflict, Fiduciary Professions, Interest, International, Succession Planning, Tax Issues, U.S. Citizen, United States, US Taxes, Wills
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