Valuing In-kind Donations

There is a saying among charitable gift planners: “beware of in-kind property donors who show up with valuations in hand.”  In other words, eager donors and their gifts may be too good to be true.  This is folk wisdom that points to a serious issue.  Donors, executors and charities often struggle with in-kind donation valuation.  Who commissions and pays for in-kind donation appraisals, the donor or charity? Standard Practice The….

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Estate Donations, Estate Planning, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Uncategorized

Attitude of Gratitude

An ‘attitude of gratitude’  seems to be the mantra of the 2020 Masters Tournament commentators. Fans  are so happy to have the Masters on this year- albeit in November rather than April. It is a motto that more of us need. I would like to apply this positive attitude and acknowledgement to caregivers as this is National Family Caregivers Month. More than ever as this pandemic overshadows absolutely everything and….

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Elder Care

Electronic Wills in Ontario: Growing Interest, Growing Need, or Growing Concern?

A few months ago, I was sent this article in the Globe and Mail.[1] The article explores the notion of introducing legislation to legalize electronic wills in Ontario. Although some of us here in the estates and trusts world have experience deducing what the positives and negatives of electronic wills might be, I found the article interesting because it represents an instance where the discussion surrounding electronic wills is making….

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Contested wills, Estate Planning, Wills

Until Death Do Us Part…

This Blog was written by Angèle LeBlanc, Estate and Trust Advisor at MD Private Trust Company which is part of Scotia Wealth Management The Medical Assistance in Dying, Bill C-14 (MAiD) was enacted into law on June 17th, 2016. Since then, some of us may have heard of cases where individuals, even clients, have chosen to end their life with MAiD. With every new law passed, however, litigation is certain….

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Courts, Uncategorized

Removing an Estate Trustee: More Than a Feeling

In Viertelhausen v Viertelhausen, the court dismissed an application to remove the estate trustee due to lack of evidence of a true conflict of interest. The deceased, Bote, died without a will. His brother, Bill, obtained a certificate of appointment of estate trustee without a will. The applicant, Teresa (a niece of both Bill and Bote) who was also a beneficiary of Bote’s estate, commenced an application to remove Bill….

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Estate Litigation
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