Joanna Lindenberg

Total 48 Posts

Joanna is an experienced estates, trusts, and capacity litigator at de VRIES LITIGATION LLP. Joanna obtained her law degree from the Shulich School of Law at Dalhousie University after completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at McGill University. Following her call to the Ontario Bar in June 2011, Joanna obtained a Masters of Law at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), specializing in international and comparative law. Joanna's current practice focuses on, in part, will challenges, dependant’s support, capacity, and power of attorney disputes. More of Joanna's blogs can be found at https://devrieslitigation.com/author/jlindenberg/

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

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Can a suicide note be a valid holograph will? Maybe, and it depends upon where you live. The Ontario case of McGrath v. Joy, which decision was released at the end of 2020, dealt with whether a suicide note was a valid holograph will. My colleague, Rebecca Studin, recently blogged about the case, where it was found that the suicide note was not a valid holograph will. The judge commented,….

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Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Wills

Big New Rules for Small Estates

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The law in Canada is not static – it evolves and changes to meet our society’s needs through incremental changes to the common law (i.e. the application and interpretation of the law through the courts) and through legislative changes. One recent change to Ontario’s laws was made through the Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2020 (the “Act”). The purpose of the Act is to make it easier, faster and more….

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Courts, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Executors, Trustee, Wills

One Will, Two Versions

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Bayford v. Boese is an interesting case which serves as a reminder of the statutory requirements for due execution of a will. It also provides a thorough analysis of how judges dissect a witness’ evidence and generally determine who to ultimately believe at trial. Bruce Boese (the “Deceased”) was the sole owner of a 22-acre farm in Arnprior, Ontario (the “Farm”) when he died in June 2015. The Deceased executed….

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Contested wills, Credibility, Estate Litigation, Executors, Wills

Fraudulent Conveyances and Your Estate

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It is well known that Ontario testators enjoy the freedom to distribute their estates as they wish (provided their statutory obligations are met); however, the recent case of RBC v. Scarborough, 2019 ONSC 3369, reminds readers to be cognizant of the impact of debts and liabilities upon those who may stand to benefit from an estate, as well as the ramifications of taking steps to deal with one’s estate in….

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Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Executors, Joint Tenancy, Loans, Wills

Probate and the Humans Rights Tribunal of Ontario

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On June 29, 2019, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (the “HRTO”) released an interim decision which impacts upon estate trustees and which calls for some friendly scrutiny from estate solicitors and litigators. My colleague, Jacob Kaufman, blogged about a previous and related HRTO 2017 case which required that a certificate of appointment of estate trustee (probate) be obtained – both where there is and is not a will – in order….

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Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Executors, Wills

Digital Will Vault

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NoticeConnect, which is a one stop shop for estates to advertise for creditors and provide solutions for those seeking to collect from estates has recently added a new element – an online Canada Will Registry. The Canada Will Registry went live in early June 2019. On the “Digital Will Vault”, as its termed on NoticeConnect’s website, individuals can register one or multiple wills at once and receive an alert when….

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Wills
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