Business Records Exception under Section 35 of the Ontario Evidence Act

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Section 35 of the Evidence Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.23 (“EA”) is often referred to as the “business records” exception to the rule against hearsay. That is because, under certain circumstances, section 35 of the EA allows business records (which are defined in section 35(1)) to be filed and admissible as evidence where the information in that document might otherwise be traditionally considered as hearsay. In order to qualify as….

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Trusteeship Part 2: Avoiding Pitfalls—Best Practices for Estate Trustees

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Today’s blog has been written by Latoya Brown, Associate, at Fasken LLP In Part 1 of this series, we explored the importance of selecting the right trustee, using Jones v. Jones[1] to highlight what can go wrong when a trustee lacks a clear understanding of their fiduciary obligations. In this follow-up, we turn to what happens after the appointment—how trustees can fulfill their duties effectively and avoid the kind of….

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Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Property, Trustee, Undue influence, Wills

The Three Ds

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Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Mario Gravel, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust Ottawa   Allow me to share a story of a client interaction with you. Dear client, do you know how important it is to have a proper legal Will?  Yes. Check. You also know about the peace of mind that having a proper Will provides? Absolutely. Check.  Well, looks like all the ground has been covered, right?  Well, not quite. First….

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Estate Planning, Funeral Planning, Wills

Determining the Validity of Inter Vivos Gifts

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In the recent case of Buffa v. Giacomelli, the court was asked to determine if large gifts the Deceased made to her Daughter from jointly held accounts were valid inter vivos gifts and if the Daughter had rebutted the presumption of a resulting trust with respect to the funds held in those joint accounts. The Deceased had two children, who both shared her estate under her Will with the Applicant….

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Estate Litigation

Clarifying U.S. Estate Tax for Canadians

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It comes as a surprise to many Canadians to learn their estate may be subject to U.S. estate tax. Indeed, the U.S. estate tax regime is broad and complex and misunderstood by many Canadians. This article will provide a summary overview of its application to Canadian and how to minimize its implications. U.S. Estate Tax Regime in General All U.S. persons (U.S. citizen, U.S. resident or green card holder) are….

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Canadian and US Tax Treaty, Estate Planning, International, IRS, Tax Issues, US Taxes

The Limits of Pour-Over Clauses in Ontario (And What to Do Instead)

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    Today’s blog was written by Karen La Caprara, Counsel, at Fasken LLP. Pour-over clauses in wills are a staple in U.S. estate planning, used to direct estate assets into an existing trust. But in Ontario and British Columbia, these clauses can lead to invalid testamentary gifts, intestacy, and costly litigation. What Is a Pour-Over Clause—and Why Is It Problematic? A pour-over clause is a provision in a will that….

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Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Succession Planning, Tax Issues, Trusts, United States, Wills
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