Estate Administration

Total 501 Posts

When Spouses “Separate” Due to Changing Medical Needs

This blog was written by Christina Papadopoulos, student-at-law at de VRIES LITIGATION LLP. How does a physical separation caused by the admission of one spouse into a long-term care facility impact the interpretation of a will? This was the question posed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Stuart v. Stuart, 2019 ONSC 4328. In that case, a married couple lived together in a property they owned as tenants….

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Contested wills, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Spouse, Wills

Celebrity Estates – Not Immune from the Trials and Tribulations of Estate Planning and Litigation

With TIFF in full swing, celebrity worship is in overdrive. However, celebrities also deal with the mundane and there is often nothing glamorous about their estates. In fact, like the rest of us mere mortals, celebrities do not have a lock on getting things right. So often, there is so much money sloshing around, coupled with the absence of a properly drawn will, that estate fights are inevitable. Michael Jackson’s….

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Contested wills, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Executors, Family Conflict, Fiduciary Professions, Interest, International, Succession Planning, Tax Issues, U.S. Citizen, United States, US Taxes, Wills

The $100 Million Executor Fee: Unexpected but not Unreasonable

This blog was written by Paula Lester – Estate and Trust Consultant with Scotia Wealth Management When the four executors of Leona Helmsley’s $5 billion estate asked for payment of $100 million for their services, it was touted as being astronomical by the challenging Attorney General. Still, Manhattan Surrogate’s Court Judge Nora Anderson recently ruled to allow the fees, which, although admittedly enormous, were considered justified based on the complexity….

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Compensation, Estate Administration, Executors, In the News, United States

Fraudulent Conveyances and Your Estate

It is well known that Ontario testators enjoy the freedom to distribute their estates as they wish (provided their statutory obligations are met); however, the recent case of RBC v. Scarborough, 2019 ONSC 3369, reminds readers to be cognizant of the impact of debts and liabilities upon those who may stand to benefit from an estate, as well as the ramifications of taking steps to deal with one’s estate in….

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Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Executors, Joint Tenancy, Loans, Wills

The Jeffrey Epstein “Plot” Thickens…Last Will and Testament Signed 2 Days Prior to Death!

Jeffrey Epstein (“Epstein”) signed a will just 2 days before he was found dead in his jail cell, raising new queries about his final days inside the Manhattan Correctional Centre, where he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. This new development adds to what is likely going to be a long battle over the estate of the financier and convicted pedophile. While the criminal charges against….

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Estate Administration, Estate Planning, In the News, Wills

Changes to a Trust Agreement

The Canada Revenue Agency recently responded to a ruling request as to whether or not a proposed amendment to a trust agreement could be so significant to cause a resettlement of the trust, or a disposition of a beneficiary’s interest in the trust Before the enactment of variation of trusts legislation, trustees were generally bound to administer the trust according to its terms.  Unless specifically allowed in the trust deed,….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Administration, Executors, Tax Issues
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