Estate Litigation

Total 411 Posts

The Continuing Importance of the Presumption of Due Execution

Where the evidence establishes that the testator executed the will in accordance with the requisite formalities (e.g., signed in the presence of two witnesses), a rebuttable presumption arises that the testator knew and approved the contents of the will…..

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Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Executors, Family Conflict, Wills

The Life and Legacy of Gina Lollobrigida – An Estates Perspective

Today’s blog is written by Jessica J. Butler, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP. Italian cinema legend Gina Lollobrigida passed away at the age of 95 in January 2023.  Known by fans as ‘La Lollo’, she starred in over 60 films which included the likes of Frank Sinatra and Sean Connery. Gina’s legacy includes a past fraught with disputes considered to be some of the most common and ‘classic’ wills and….

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Capacity Law, Contested wills, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, International, Testamentary Capacity, Undue influence, Wills

Facts, Mistakes, and Probate

Today’s blog was written by Christopher Cook, Student-At-Law at de VRIES LITIGATION LLP In some common law jurisdictions, there exists a fascinating (but rarely applied) legal doctrine called “patent mistake.” This doctrine applies in the context of applications for probate. When asked to probate a will, the court’s task is to determine whether the will in question really is the deceased’s last will and testament. Naturally, this inquiry requires the….

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Contested wills, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Executors, Fiduciary Professions, Succession Planning, Wills

Gefen Estate v. Gefen

The Ontario Court of Appeal (“ONCA”) decision in Gefen Estate v. Gefen is an interesting read which provides insight into a variety of topics including mutual wills and mutual will agreements, secret trusts, the doctrine of unconscionable procurement, and more! By way of background, Elias and Henia Gefen were married for 65 years. They were Holocaust survivors who came to Canada in 1951. They had three sons: Harvey, Harry, and….

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Appeals, Capacity Law, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Family Conflict, Joint Tenancy, Power of Attorney, Real Estate, Testamentary Capacity, Uncategorized, Undue influence, Wills

The Bio-Psycho-Social Approach to Capacity Evaluation

Current approaches that define capacity in cognitive terms disregard concerns that emotional instability may disrupt capacity or that a person may be cognitively intact yet lack the capacity to give a valid consent. An alternative evaluative approach would be to view capacity holistically, as a combination of biological, psychological, and social (biopsychosocial) factors…..

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Capacity Law, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Litigation, Fiduciary Professions, Geriatric Care Management, Guardianship, Healthcare, Power of Attorney, Powers Of Attorney and Guardianship Disputes, Testamentary Capacity

Atypical Asset Administration (Part 2)

This blog has been written by Sandra Arsenault, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP Welcome back! This is Part 2 of a two-part series on unusual assets and estate administration. For part one, please see my blog post here. Typical assets in an estate consist of real property, automobiles, corporations, investments, cash, jewellery and artwork. What I would call the “easy” stuff. But sometimes there are collections, specialized equipment, intangible assets….

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Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Executors, Tax Issues, Uncategorized, Wills
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