Lara Besharat

Estate Planning for Eco-Conscious Canadians: Arranging an Eco-Friendly Death

• • 3 Comments

This Blog was written by Lara Besharat   Throughout the last year and a half, the pandemic, and the precarious nature of our collective health, has rested firmly at the forefront of everyone’s minds. This has led to a significant increase in estate planning. However, for many, there is still one estate planning step they are reluctant to take: planning their funeral. Prior to the pandemic, less than half of all….

Estate Planning for Eco-Conscious Canadians: Arranging an Eco-Friendly Death Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, Funeral Planning

Love is in the Air. But be cautious

• • 0 Comments

This Blog was written by Lara Besharat A romance scam, also commonly known as “catfishing”, is a fraudulent scheme, generally accomplished via social media or through an online dating platform, wherein a scammer feigns romantic interest in a target, develops a “relationship” with that person, and ultimately swindles them for money. Seniors in particular are at high risk of being preyed upon in this way. While this is a growing concern, there….

Love is in the Air. But be cautious Continue Reading »

Uncategorized

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way: Virtual Witnessing and Undue Influence During COVID-19

• • 2 Comments

This blog was written by Lara Besharat As the pandemic trudges on, jurisdictions are bowing to pressure, allowing for what was once a rigidly fixed process to be done virtually. In Canada, a will historically required the physical presence of two witnesses alongside the testator to be considered valid. However, due to social distancing guidelines, changes have had to be made. One by one, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova….

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way: Virtual Witnessing and Undue Influence During COVID-19 Continue Reading »

Contested wills, Uncategorized, Undue influence

Revival Trusts: Dead on Arrival?

• • 0 Comments

This blog was written by Lara Besharat Benjamin Franklin famously wrote that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” A hundred and seventy-eight years later, the Alcor Life Extension Foundation undertook to disprove this generally accepted inevitability. In 1967, James Bedford became the first person to be cryonically preserved after death in the hopes of someday being brought back to life. For up to $200,000 (not including….

Revival Trusts: Dead on Arrival? Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, In the News, Uncategorized

You Better Think (Think)…About the Estate Planning Process

• • 0 Comments

This blog was written by Lara Besharat In August 2018, renowned singer Aretha Franklin died of pancreatic cancer in her home in Detroit, leaving behind an illustrious musical legacy, a strong history of civil rights activism, four children, and an estimated $80-million-dollar fortune. One thing she didn’t leave behind, however, was a will. Or so we thought. For months, it was believed that the Queen of Soul died intestate, going….

You Better Think (Think)…About the Estate Planning Process Continue Reading »

Contested wills, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Family Conflict, In the News, Wills

Two Isn’t Always Better Than One: The Perils of Joint Accounts

• • 0 Comments

This blog was written by Lara Besharat Earlier this month, a Toronto-based FinTech company launched a new feature for their app that aims to simplify the process of creating and maintaining a joint account. The app allows for joint accounts to be created and managed entirely via your mobile device, and, with equal power over the account, users can send e-transfers, deposit money, and reload the account with the pre-paid….

Two Isn’t Always Better Than One: The Perils of Joint Accounts Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, In the News, Property, Resulting Trust, Uncategorized
Scroll to Top