Estate Administration and Probate Applications

Total 137 Posts

Potential Cost of Witnessing a Will

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Across Canada, the provinces have built safeguards against undue influence into their law regulating wills: if the witness or the witness’ spouse receives a gift of property under the will, that gift is void. Unfortunately, this rule has the potential to disinherit innocent beneficiaries who unwittingly agree to act as witnesses to the will. This was the situation before the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Wolk v Wolk, 2021 BCSC 1881…..

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Contested wills, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Wills

Surprise…More Big Changes Coming to Estate Administration

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Today’s blog was written by Sandra Arsenault, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP “Change is the only constant” – Heraclitus. How is it possible that in one of the most traditional areas of law we are about to see even more big changes come into effect? Just as we get used to virtual witnessing, digital signatures, email service of documents, small estates certificates and e-filing, the Rules are literally changing again…..

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Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Uncategorized

When Is A Signature Not A Signature?

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Under the Succession Law Reform Act (SLRA), a will or codicil must be “signed” to be valid. The case of BMO Trust Company v. Cosgrove, 2021 ONSC 5681 considered what handwritten form of a person’s name constituted a signature. Nola Louise Bogie hired a lawyer to prepare her will. However, by 2017, Ms. Bogie’s lawyer had been suspended by the Law Society of Upper Canada (as it was then known)…..

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Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Wills

Reaffirming the Status Quo of Beneficial Designations: the saga of Calmusky v. Calmusky continued

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The Rippling Effects of Calmusky v. Calmusky In March of 2020, Lococo J.’s decision in Calmusky v. Calmusky made waves in Ontario’s legal community. (For this reason, it was included in our top 20 estate law cases of 2020. An excellent summary and analysis of that decision by my colleague Demetre Vasilounis can be found here). By applying the law on the presumption of resulting trust to an RIF, Lococo….

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Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Resulting Trust, Succession Planning

Joint accounts – continued

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Several years ago, I wrote about probate planning involving the use of joint accounts. At the time, my father-in-law had just passed away and my mother-in-law, who survived him, was intent on paying the least amount of Estate Administration Tax (EAT). Jointly held property with a spouse or with one or more children, with a right of survivorship may not form part of the deceased’s estate and may be effective….

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Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Planning, Executors, Family Conflict, Investments, Joint Tenancy, Probate Tax, Trustee, Trusts, Uncategorized, Wills
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