Estate Litigation

Total 413 Posts

Trust and (Mis)Communication in Families

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There is a recurrent theme that I continue to see in my elder care work with families. It involves a breakdown in communication that has likely started sometime ago. As a result of this miscommunication, the trusting relationship that I would like to be believe originally existed there, has been damaged. This lack of trust seems to revolve around several parties and may include distrust from parent to child and/or….

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Family Conflict, Power of Attorney, Undue influence

The Cost of Winning, Sort of….

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In my practice, I have been engaged on valuation matters which, on occasion despite the efforts of all those involved, go to trial to have a trial judge settle for the parties. Most trials are expensive and the actual outcome is not always certain, no matter how strong one side of the matter or case might be. It has been my experience that even if one happens to be on….

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Costs, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Executors, Joint Tenancy, Property, Uncategorized, Undue influence, Wills

An Intriguing Will Challenge

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In Koster v. Koster, the Deceased’s nieces and nephews challenged his last will on the grounds of undue influence. There is nothing unusual about a will challenge in these circumstances, the Deceased was a very wealthy man who changed his will in the twilight years of his life. What was unusual is that the nieces and nephews benefit under the Deceased’s last will that they are challenging. If they are….

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Estate Litigation, Undue influence

Chapter Two in the Family Farm Saga

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The case of John the Farmer (which I had previously blogged about) is now under appeal. John  is seeking to overturn the ruling that he had to vacate the family farm so it could be sold on the open market. A judge rejected John’s request to stay the lower court’s order until the Court of Appeal could weigh in. The Court of Appeal will hear this matter on July 20,….

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Estate Litigation

Privacy, the Rule of Law, and Apotex Inc.

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The “rule of law” is a defining feature of western democracies. Briefly described, it is the insistence that all government action be based in law, and is contrasted with acts of tyranny, dictatorship, and arbitrary exercises of power. The central role that the rule of law plays in Canadian society is most clearly seen in the one-sentence preamble to the Constitution Act, 1982: “Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that….

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Capacity Law, Estate Litigation, Family Conflict, Guardianship, In the News, Interest

Will Challengers Beware!

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In Seguin v. Pearson, 2018 ONCA 355, the Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed the appeal of Carol-Anne Seguin from the lower court’s dismissal of her action to invalidate the two most recent wills of her late father, Robert Geddes Paterson (the “deceased”), despite the trial judge’s error in applying the test for undue influence.  Facts: Ms. Seguin and her sisters were the children of the deceased, who died in….

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Estate Litigation, Undue influence
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