Empowering families: protecting the ones that need it the most

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 wishes and needs? Do you have a power of attorney in place? Who will do what in case something comes….

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Caregiving, Disability, Estate Planning

Moral Obligation vs Testamentary Freedom: Which Should Prevail?

*This blog post was written by Ruth Paul, articling student at de VRIES LITIGATION LLP* Testamentary freedom is a guiding principle in Canadian estates law. It operates under the presumption that individuals are free to dispose of their estate however they see fit. However, testamentary freedom is not an absolute right. It is subject to statutory limitations that vary between provinces. In Ontario, these limitations are imposed by the Succession….

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Uncategorized

LCGE for Sole Proprietors – When the Exception Makes the Rule

This article is written by Nicole Ewing, Director, Tax & Estate Planning, TD Wealth As professional advisors, we often speak in generalities and paraphrase rules to make our complex worlds more accessible to our clients. But there’s a risk in this oversimplification – sometimes important exceptions become unknown and worse, underutilized. For example, when we consider succession planning options for business owners, the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption (LCGE) invariably takes centre….

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Estate Planning, Small Business, Tax Issues

Lam v Law Estate: Gender bias permits variation of discriminatory will

Today’s blog post was written by Latoya Brown, an Associate at Fasken LLP. The discussion of discriminatory wills continues with a new case out of the British Columbia Supreme Court. In Lam v Law Estate, 2024 BCSC 156, the court varied a testatrix’s will on the reasoning that the testatrix’s bias did not meet contemporary standards of fairness. The testatrix was survived by her two independent adult children, her son….

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Capacity Law, Caregiving, Compensation, Contested wills, Courts, Dependant Support, Elder Law, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Succession Planning, Uncategorized, Wills

Canadian Charity Law’s Turning Point

[caption id="attachment_21029" align="aligncenter" width="322"] Aura Vaucrosson, Canadian Charity Law Pioneer, with Malcolm Burrows[/caption] In the 1970s, Canadian charity law dramatically evolved and became imbedded in the Income Tax Act.  While this is ancient history, I have personal connections with the drafting Working Group at the Department of Finance that I rediscovered. To my delight, after 45 years, I reconnected with one of the drafters in Ottawa this summer.  Aura (Elliott)….

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Philanthropy/Charitable Giving

A Tale of Two Limitation Periods

In Ingram v. Kulynych Estate, 2024 ONCA 678, the Court of Appeal for Ontario considered the appropriate limitation period where two different limitation periods were applicable and apparently in conflict in relation to a claim against an estate. Background Henry Kulynych died in February 2017. In his Will, Mr. Kulynych left his estate to his first wife, and if she predeceased him, which she did, then to his three children…..

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