Estate Planning

Total 1084 Posts

The Will That Almost Was: When an Unsigned Will Creates Chaos

• • 0 Comments
Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Dave Madan, Senior Manager, Scotiatrust    Most of us have a mental image of what a Will looks like. It is signed at the bottom, witnessed, maybe bound in a blue backing. It sits in a filing cabinet or a safe deposit box, and when the time comes, someone pulls it out and follows the instructions. Clean. Final. Done. But what happens when there….

The Will That Almost Was: When an Unsigned Will Creates Chaos Continue Reading »

Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Wills

Don’t Touch the Original!

• • 0 Comments

In Boyle v. Boyle, 2026 ONSC 4919, the court considered the validity of handwritten alterations to a will. William Robert Boyle (the “Deceased”) died on March 7, 2025. The Deceased left a typed last will and testament dated March 15, 2020. The Deceased was predeceased by his parents, had no spouse or children, and was one of 16 siblings, 9 of whom survived him. The Will left the residue to….

Don’t Touch the Original! Continue Reading »

Contested wills, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning

Excluded Property, Estate Freezes and Family Law: What Estate Planners Need to Know After Lang-Newlands v. Newlands

• • 0 Comments

Estate planners have long viewed trusts and estate freezes as valuable tools for succession planning, tax efficiency, and family wealth preservation. However, the Ontario Court of Appeal’s recent decision in Lang-Newlands v. Newlands, 2026 ONCA 530, serves as an important reminder that family law considerations can significantly affect the intended outcomes of an estate plan. For trusts and estates practitioners, the decision highlights the limits of relying on the Family….

Excluded Property, Estate Freezes and Family Law: What Estate Planners Need to Know After Lang-Newlands v. Newlands Continue Reading »

Contested wills, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Spouse, Succession Planning, Trusts, Uncategorized, Wills

The Most Expensive Funeral I’ve Arranged—and the Cheapest: Things Every Executor and Testator Should Know About Funeral Costs

• • 1 Comment
Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Jo-Anne Stark, Practice Lead, Scotiatrust Western Region   One of the first responsibilities many executors face is arranging a funeral. It is often an emotionally charged task that must be completed quickly, sometimes with limited guidance from the deceased and before estate funds are readily available. As a result, the cost of a funeral can come as a surprise to both families and executors…..

The Most Expensive Funeral I’ve Arranged—and the Cheapest: Things Every Executor and Testator Should Know About Funeral Costs Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, Executors, Funeral Planning

Social and Personal Giving

• • 3 Comments

There is a charity fundraising truism that says “you don’t get money unless you ask for it”. But estate planning professionals know that’s not true. Thirty years ago, I was working in gift planning at a major Toronto hospital foundation.  My professional education consistently reinforced the above truism, but my experience didn’t align with what I was taught.  My job focused on exceptional donations from wealth and estate donations. To….

Social and Personal Giving Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Uncategorized

The Great Wealth Transfer Is Female: Why Estate Planning Professionals Must Adapt

• • 3 Comments
Scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Jo-Anne Stark, Practice Lead, Scotiatrust Western Region   Reports indicate that by 2028, women in Canada will control nearly $4 trillion in assets.[1] In just the past decade, that figure will have doubled. The implications for estate planning professionals are profound. The most significant wealth transfer in Canadian history is already underway as assets pass from one generation to the next and surviving spouses….

The Great Wealth Transfer Is Female: Why Estate Planning Professionals Must Adapt Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, Succession Planning
Scroll to Top