Fasken LLP

When Estates Law Meets Criminal Law: A Recent Case of a Fraudulent Will

Estates law doesn’t typically make the news, so my attention is always piqued when I see a headline about a Will. A recent criminal case featuring a fraudulent Will made front-page news, and serves as a reminder of what a powerful document a Will is, the need to carefully plan and safeguard against fraudsters, and the risks inherent in estates law. Last month, Robert Konashewych, a Toronto police officer, and….

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Courts, Estate Administration, Executors, In the News, Wills

Ontario Courts determine what constitutes a valid will

This blog has been written by Mohena Singh, Associate at Fasken LLP In Ontario, there have always been strict and specific guidelines as to what makes a will a testamentary document. The Succession Law Reform Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.26 (the “SLRA”) states that a will is valid only if it is in writing and it is signed by the testator and two witnesses, who do not benefit under the….

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Contested wills, Estate Planning, Wills

Gifting 101 – Ademption and Abatement

Today’s blog is written by Jessica J. Butler, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP. The world of wills and estates is a complex one, and it can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture.  A refresh of keystone practice elements can help remind us to see the forest through the trees.  In this blog, we’ll work through some of the basics of gifting using the concepts of ademption and….

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Estate Planning, Property, Wills

Personal Effects – to Bequest or not to Bequest

Today’s blog was written by Courtney Lanthier, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP. As I’m sure many of us know, it can be very easy to accumulate “things” over the years, and sometimes we really only discover how much we actually have during a move, or when cleaning out the contents of a loved one’s home after their passing.  Being an ‘acquiror’ of things – memorabilia for a favourite sports team,….

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Estate Planning, Executors, Family Conflict, Wills

How Much Should You Leave To Your Children And When?

This week, I had a great opportunity to sit down with Andy Jeffery, Vice President, Family Office Advisory, at Northwood Family Office,[1] to discuss a question frequently raised by clients; “How much should I leave my children and when?” Below we distill our discussion into five questions, providing you with both of our perspectives, being that of a family office advisor and an estate planner. Do clients seek guidance in….

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Estate Planning, Trusts

Lack of Financial Disclosure Comes at a Significant Financial Cost

Today’s Blog Post was written by Gabrielle Arbic-Lloyd, Student-at-Law at Fasken LLP In February, the Ontario Court of Appeal ordered one spouse to pay the other more than one million dollars in costs in addition to spousal and child support. So what motivated the Court to order this spouse to pay so much in costs? The answer lies in lack of financial disclosure and bad behaviour. Financial disclosure is one….

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Costs, Courts, Credibility, Family Conflict, Separation, Spouse
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