Gifting Personalty

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This Blog was written by: Sally Lee, J.D. In an old New York Times article, I read about Jackie Kennedy Onnasis’ personal effects being initially valued at $6 million and later sold at auction for $34.5 million. The IRS, no doubt, went after its share. When I meet clients for estate planning, I often ask if they own something of significant worth that could be featured on “Antiques Roadshow”. Usually,….

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Estate Planning, Property, Uncategorized

You can’t gift what you don’t have

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Kindly Arlindo Teixeira took care of his elderly neighbour Mary Markgraf. Mary died shortly after writing a large cheque to Arlindo which could not be cashed due to insufficient funds. In Teixeira v. Markgraf Estate, 2017 ONCA 819, the Court of Appeal upheld the application judge’s ruling that this gift failed for lack of delivery. Arlindo helped Mary for nearly 15 years, with household maintenance, driving her to appointments and….

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Estate Litigation

Joint accounts – the good and the bad

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Earlier this year, my father-in- law left us suddenly.  While my in-laws were careful about planning for this day there was still some Estate Administration Tax (EAT) to be paid on the transfer of assets between spouses.  Armed with that experience, my mother-in-law is determined pay the least amount of EAT and asked about the use of joint accounts. Jointly held property with a spouse or with one or more….

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Estate Planning, Executors, Family Conflict, Probate Tax, Tax Issues

The Role Played by the Family Caregiver

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The family caregiver plays a key role in supporting the very fabric of Canadian society. The most recent Census data tells us that 28% of all Canadians provide unpaid care to a family member or friend. If you are reading this article, chances are you are or know someone close to you who is a family carer. Today there are more seniors over age 65 than children under age 14…..

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Elder Care

Robert and Signe McMichael’s Complicated Legacy

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[caption id="attachment_5842" align="aligncenter" width="477"] Robert and Signe McMichael signing Gift Agreement with Ontario Premier John Robarts .18 November 1965. Credit CBC[/caption] Robert and Signe McMichael, the namesake of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, were savvy art collectors who made some painful philanthropic and estate planning mistakes.  Visionary Collectors     Starting in 1955, when they were in their early 30s, they started buying landscape paintings by the Group of Seven….

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

Lost Wills – More Complicated than Losing Your Keys

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Nobody is perfect – sometimes you lose your keys. Other times you lose your will. The problem is, by the time your estate trustee realizes the will is gone, you won’t be around to help look for it. The inability to find a testator’s will does not automatically result in the deceased’s estate being distributed on intestacy. In certain circumstances, a lost or destroyed will may be admitted for probate….

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