Patents What is the symbol of a true gentleman, if not his moustache? The moustache guard was patented in 1876 to protect the user’s moustache during holiday feasts. It was described in the patent application as a “curved and concave shield, which may be made of vulcanized rubber, metal or…
Scotiatrust
A report released in early 2024 reported that the average adult internet user spends six hours and 40 minutes every day online.[1] The typical social media user spends just shy of two and a half hours on social media per day.[2] Though some internet and social media use can of…
Law school requires reading an abundance of case law. I am sure that most lawyers have a few memorable cases that standout from their time in class (Lord Denning; the ginger beer snail etc.). There are cases that have stood the test of time; cases that caused a momentous shift…
Some of you may have read the article written by my colleague, Demetre Vasilounis, back in June of this year about Valve’s incredibly popular game distribution platform, Steam. The platform is selling their games as licences, not as owned games, much to the surprise of the gaming community. This was…
Exculpatory clauses or indemnity clauses in wills and trusts are common forms of protection provided to the trustees by testators and settlors. When a trustee is appointed under a testamentary or inter vivos trust document to administer and manage an estate or a trust, some consider it to be an…
As an estate planning professional, philanthropy is a great tool in your toolkit. However, if your client intends to incorporate philanthropy into their estate plan, the importance of including a cy‑près clause in their Will cannot be understated. If there is no cy‑près clause in the Will and the charity…
“Your credit card starting with 4567 has been locked due to suspicious activity. To restore access to your account, please verify your information using the link below.” Older people are 33% more likely to lose money in a scam than any other age group, according to Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario,…
A Will in every Port The laws of succession, probate, and property differ from country to country, state to state and jurisdiction to jurisdiction. As such, a prudent testator should consider having a Will in every jurisdiction where they own property. Certainly, there are methods by which a domestic Will…
Using “dual wills” as part of an estate plan is a well-established and frequently used strategy in Ontario and across Canada. This involves the execution of two wills. A Primary Will that deals with estate assets which cannot be distributed to a testator’s beneficiaries without a Certificate of Appointment of…
Many of us are speaking to our clients about estate planning or supporting clients who are speaking to their other advisors about estate planning. Have you thought about the questions that we pose to such clients. Have you thought about your estate plan? Is your will drafted as per your…