November is Make a Will Month, an annual initiative designed to raise awareness about the importance of having a Will. A Will is one of the most critical legal documents you can have, as it ensures that your wishes are respected and your loved ones are provided for after your…
Tag: succession planning
Total 15 Posts
Fall officially arrives on Monday. School has started, the leaves are turning colour, and for many families, it’s time to think about closing the cottage for the year. As estate planners know, the cottage is not an ordinary asset. It’s a special place where memories are made and traditions are…
Are you planning to leave real estate to a loved one under your Will? Do you want that property to be transferred free of debt or other claims? If you’re making a specific gift of your interest in freehold or leasehold property that is subject to a mortgage, as…
This blog has been written by Darren Lund, Partner at Fasken LLP In a previous blog, I wrote about the Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision in Lang-Newlands v Newlands, 2024 ONSC 6285. To briefly summarize, the Newlands case considered a number of issues, but the key issue of interest…
You’ve already beaten the odds — now make sure your fortune doesn’t roll the dice without you. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of helping lottery winners turn sudden wealth into lasting legacies. Here are six key considerations to keep in mind from an estate planning perspective: Assemble…
Today’s blog was written by Jessica Butler, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP. Last weekend my husband and I settled in for a typical Sunday night at home – cozy on the couch with a good Netflix documentary. We decided to watch “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed”. What I…
This blog has been written by Darren Lund, Partner at Fasken LLP In Lang-Newlands v. Newlands, 2024 ONSC 6285, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice revisited the treatment of a discretionary family trust in the context of the equalization of net family property under the Ontario Family Law Act. Barbara…
Today’s blog was written by Jessica Butler, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP. This past Tuesday, October 15th, marked a significant milestone for me an my husband – one whole year of marital bliss! With the traditional first-anniversary gift being paper, I found myself thinking about a particularly profound paper: a…
Pictured: A screenshot of a discussion between a Steam user and a Steam Support representative that has taken the internet by storm. Usually, I get my trusts and estates-related news from legal blogs, LinkedIn or emails from colleagues. So, you can imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a pretty…
What is Hotchpot? In estates law, “hotchpot” is a legal term of art.[1] It is an umbrella term that covers a few related concepts (e.g., a hotchpot clause, common law presumptions of hotchpot, intestacy legislation on the same). In essence, the purpose of hotchpot is to prevent one beneficiary from…