Romance (Scams) Are In the Air

The image depicts a desktop computer with a picture of a broken heart on the screen in a somber atmosphere to describe the theme of romance scams.

Around Valentine’s Day, love is in the air, and so unfortunately, are romance scams. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported that romance scams skyrocketed[1] during the massive shift online caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among older adults. Romance scams are now one of Canada’s most common frauds. As advisors, it is important that we educate our clients and families on the rising incidence of romance scams and actively discuss how people fall victim…..

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Elder Management, Smart Ageing

Firearms, Wills, Estates, and the impact of Bill C-21

Bill C-21- An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms)   This blog has been written by Sandra Arsenault, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP Estates practitioners should be aware that Bill C-21, the controversial legislation which imposes strict gun control provisions Canada-wide, received Royal Assent and became law on December 15, 2023.  Bill C-21 amends several federal statutes, including, inter alia, the Criminal Code of….

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Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors, Uncategorized, Wills

Got Tenants? Tenants in Estates

Cornerstone Housing for Women

Alicia Mossington, Estate and Trust Consultant Executors have many responsibilities: paying debts; taxes; testamentary expenses; and managing estate assets. Different assets come with different responsibilities and rules and some assets – like rental properties – have unique complexities to manage. It is common for estates to include rental properties especially given the real estate market in Ontario over the past decade. When managing occupied property, the executor must balance their….

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Estate Administration, Real Estate

Section 3 Counsel’s Entitlement to Costs

The Court in Gadula v Leroux, 2016 ONSC 6990 provided quite an interesting discussion regarding the entitlement of costs for all parties involved in a guardianship application and from where the costs were to be taken from. The issue of costs is unsurprisingly common in estate litigation and in litigation in general, because let’s face it, nobody likes spending money. The court made some especially intriguing comments regarding the entitlement….

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Uncategorized

Tax Considerations for Gifts of Art in Canada PART TWO

Blog Illustration

Gwenyth Stadig, Associate and Upama Poudyal, Articling Student  – Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP This article forms part two of a two part series detailing the benefits and requirements of donating art for Canadian taxpayers to consider as part of their estate planning needs. Part one of this article series explored the benefits and three legal requirements for gifts of art. This article will continue the discussion on the requirements.   You can find….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Charitable Giving, Tax Issues

Equalizing an Estate Where One of More Children are U.S. Persons and Planning Strategies Where There Are U.S. Beneficiaries; Part I

In circumstances where clients, who are Canadian residents, intend to equalize their estates amongst their children (“Equalization Intention”) where one or more of such children are “U.S. Persons” (a “U.S. Child”), estate planners need to consider whether that is possible and if so, how (“whether” and “how”, the “Questions”).  This is Part I of a three-Part blog series discussing a few considerations that tax and estate advisors may wish to….

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Estate Planning, Tax Issues, U.S. Citizen, United States, US Taxes, Wills
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