Estate Planning

I am drawn to cemeteries. Even on vacation they pull me in. What I find compelling is the stories they tell, although individual stones are often frustratingly vague. The stories are most eloquent when they are layered on top of each other — leaving traces of complex, lost communities. Founded in 1845, the Hong Kong Cemetery is particularly compelling spot, which I hope this short video reveals. A neighbour of….

Today’s blog is written by Gillian Fournie, an associate at de VRIES LITIGATION. The recent Ontario Superior Court decision of Lamoureux v Lamoureux illustrates the care with which clients and counsel must take when submitting evidence to court. Without proper forethought, a party may unintentionally waive solicitor-client privilege. André Lamoureux brought an action against Charles Lamoureux in 2007 (unfortunately, the recent decision does not explain what the originating action was….

It’s not unusual for parents during their lifetime to lend money to children. In many cases, the loans do not bear interest and have no set repayment terms. Sometimes those kids even move away and when that happens the loan receivable by the parent becomes a foreign asset that may be subject to the foreign reporting rules and disclosures of Form T1135 – or do they? For purposes of the….

Readers of this blog who are in some manner associated with federal non-profit corporations will likely already be aware that a new federal non-profit corporate statute, the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act or “CNCA”, was proclaimed into force on October 17, 2011. The CNCA does not automatically apply to existing federal non-profit corporations currently governed by Part II of the Canada Corporations Act or the “CCA”. CCA corporations will continue to….

Yesterday was Bell Canada’s ‘Let’s Talk’ day which is in support of mental health awareness. Bell has opted to talk openly about mental illness with the hope of reducing stigma so that people can get the help they need. One in five Canadians will have or have had a mental illness. This illness crosses all ages and Dementia, which I blog about routinely, is also defined within the mental health….