In Bishop Estate v. Sheardown, 2021 BCSC 1571, the Supreme Court of British Columbia gave effect to a Will the testator had failed to execute before her death. Facts: Marilyn Bishop died in British Columbia in the summer of 2020 at the age of 76. She had a prior Will signed in 2014, which named her husband as her executor and primary beneficiary, and in the event he predeceased her,….
No Signature, No Problem Continue Reading »
Contested willsIn the recent decision of Lagrandeur Estate (Re), the Court considered when an estate trustee can be ‘passed over’ due to a conflict of interest. Facts Keisha Lagrandeur (“Keisha”) died on December 6, 2019, aged 41. Keisha had two boys aged 19 and 17 with her married spouse Gaetan Lagrandeur (“Gaetan”). At the time of Keisha’s death, she and Gaetan had been separated for five years, but their divorce had….
Estate Trustees and Irreconcilable Conflicts Continue Reading »
UncategorizedOn June 11, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada released its highly anticipated decision in Sherman Estate v. Donovan. Background The facts of the case have been widely publicized. Barry and Honey Sherman, a prominent couple, were found dead in their home in December 2017. Their deaths, treated as homicides, remain unsolved. The estate trustees of their estates sought sealing orders in respect of the probate applications. The sealing orders….
Supreme Court of Canada Unseals Sherman Estate Probate Files Continue Reading »
UncategorizedOn June 11, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada released its highly anticipated decision in Sherman Estate v. Donovan. Background The facts of the case have been widely publicized. Barry and Honey Sherman, a prominent couple, were found dead in their home in December 2017. Their deaths, treated as homicides, remain unsolved. The estate trustees of their estates sought sealing orders in respect of the probate applications. The sealing orders….
Supreme Court of Canada Orders Unsealing of Sherman Probate Files Continue Reading »
Uncategorized
In the recent decision of Goldentuler v. Simmons Da Silva LLP, 2021 ONCA 2019, the Court of Appeal for Ontario considered whether an individual had capacity to commence a lawsuit in which the cause of action belonged to an estate. Facts The late Henry Goldentuler (“Henry”) was a lawyer in private practice. Before his death, Henry commenced an action against a group of former employees who had removed 120 client….
Whose Claim Is It Anyway? Continue Reading »
UncategorizedIn Hernandez v. Hernandez, 2021 ONSC 106, the Court of Appeal for Ontario considered the issue of whether litigation involving the personal care of a person is rendered moot after that person dies. In 2017, Cheri Hernandez commenced an application seeking an order terminating the authority of her brother, Norman Hernandez, to act as the guardian of personal care of their mother, Anna Hernandez. Cheri’s application was dismissed in 2019….
Court of Appeal for Ontario Dismisses Moot Guardianship Appeal Continue Reading »
Guardianship