Estate Planning

Total 1065 Posts

Family Foundations & the Promise of Harmony

• • 2 Comments

One of the most common philanthropic clichés is that family foundations produce family harmony.  I was recently at a forum of advisors to ultra high net worth clients.  In a moment of candour, someone asked “has anyone used family foundations to promote family harmony, and has it ever worked?”  The answers from the room were uniformly, “yes” and “no”.  Despite the myth of philanthropy as a domestic panacea, the reality….

Family Foundations & the Promise of Harmony Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving

Dearly Departed…or not?

• • 0 Comments

A recent Toronto Star article[1] highlighted what has become a bit of an interesting viral trend in the modern internet era: “scorched earth” obituaries, written by one or more of a deceased person’s relatives, who do not have anything nice to say in their send-off of the departed. The article provides a few highlights from recent examples, including an obituary prepared by a deceased woman’s children that said “they understand that….

Dearly Departed…or not? Continue Reading »

Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Family Conflict

Joint tenancy: a cost-effective or costly measure to save on probate fees?

• • 1 Comment

This blog has been written by Mohena Singh, Associate at Fasken LLP As an estate planner, one of the most common questions I am asked is, “How do I transfer my house or cottage to my family without paying estate administration tax?” A common way we have seen individuals attempt to accomplish their goal of transferring real property without paying estate administration tax (also known as “probate fees”) is by….

Joint tenancy: a cost-effective or costly measure to save on probate fees? Continue Reading »

Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Joint Tenancy, Probate Tax, Real Estate, Wills

The Price is…Dependant Relief?

• • 2 Comments

Today’s blog is written by Jessica J. Butler, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP TV legend Bob Barker passed away on August 26, 2023 at the age of 99 – just 4 months shy of his 100th birthday.  Bob was probably most well known for being the legendary host of the long-running game show The Price is Right (and, like me, you may also have the image of Bob’s right hook….

The Price is…Dependant Relief? Continue Reading »

Charitable Giving, Dependant Support, Estate Administration, Estate Planning

Navigating Elder Management Part 2: Dispute Prevention

• • 0 Comments
Old family photos are pegged to a string with a white sheet background.

This article is a companion to my previous blog post, Navigating Elder Management: Common Sibling and Stepsibling Disputes. Exploring the source of common disputes in elder management is important. Even more important is to look at strategies that may prevent them in the first place. A decade ago, the popular press seldom covered news on comprehensive estate planning or the challenges of caring for elderly family members. Wealth managers and….

Navigating Elder Management Part 2: Dispute Prevention Continue Reading »

Elder Management, Estate Planning, Family Conflict

Charitable Bequests in Wills

• • 8 Comments

This blog was written by Courtney Lanthier, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP.   We often hear in the news of beloved celebrities passing away after years of lucrative careers. It’s also common to speculate as to how their estate will be distributed. Many celebrities have either left, or plan to leave, the majority of their estate to various charities. Bob Barker, who passed away last month, has left his estate….

Charitable Bequests in Wills Continue Reading »

Charitable Giving, Estate Donations, Estate Planning, In the News, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Wills
Scroll to Top