Estate Planning

Total 1075 Posts

Disclosure of Medical Records: Privacy Matters

In Gilbert v. Girouard, 2023 ONSC 4445, a brother and sister brought a challenge to their father’s wills. The siblings alleged that their third sibling, who was named as estate trustee, exerted undue influence over their father. They also alleged that their father lacked testamentary capacity at the time of signing the wills. In order to gather the necessary evidence to support their claim, the siblings brought a motion to….

Disclosure of Medical Records: Privacy Matters Continue Reading »

Contested wills, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Executors, Family Conflict, Testamentary Capacity, Undue influence, Wills

Failure to plan can leave minor children in “Another World”: Considerations for the Anne Heche estate

Today’s blog is written by Latoya Brown, Articling Student at Fasken LLP. The tragic death of soap opera actress of “Another World” Anne Heche, was an unexpected loss for her fans and family. She succumbed to her injuries on August 11, 2022, a week following a car accident that left her in critical condition. Heche died, leaving behind her two sons, 20 year old Homer Laffoon, 13 year old Atlas….

Failure to plan can leave minor children in “Another World”: Considerations for the Anne Heche estate Continue Reading »

Contested wills, Courts, Dependant Support, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Guardianship, Wills

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR LAWYERS ACTING AS EXECUTORS

Working in the estates administration area we are called upon to advise and guide clients on their duties, obligations and responsibilities in connection with their role as the executor for the estate.  What happens when your client is also a lawyer?  This blog is not meant to provide legal advice but rather, it is meant to provide some suggestions. Record Keeping Lawyers acting as executors have the same obligations that….

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR LAWYERS ACTING AS EXECUTORS Continue Reading »

Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors, Wills

Gifts of Real Estate, with restrictions

Early in my charitable planning career my employer was offered a donation of islands on Georgian Bay.  Surrounding the 100-year-old family cottage were sheds, cabins and boat houses.  The donors had a vision: it would be a children’s camp. It was a stunning property.  Valuable, despite the sagging, mouse-infested buildings.  But this gift by will was contingent and restricted.  It would be a children’s camp, or nothing at all.  The….

Gifts of Real Estate, with restrictions Continue Reading »

Estate Donations, Estate Planning, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving

Reviving a revoked will

It is quite common for a will to begin with a statement that all previous wills and codicils are revoked. This is done to ensure that only the will being executed at that time remains the valid will of the testator, and any prior testamentary instruments no longer desired will not end up being inadvertently  relied upon by a future estate trustee. Less well-known is that a previously revoked will….

Reviving a revoked will Continue Reading »

Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Succession Planning, Trustee, Wills

Estate Planning for The Likes of Taylor Swift: Considerations for Music Artists

With summer concerts, tours, and music festivals in full swing, I thought I would share estate planning considerations unique to music artists (the performing artists and songwriters, unless specified otherwise, the “artist”). I will use Taylor Swift as an example because the Taylor Swift/Scooter Braun controversy is helpful to my discussion. The Controversy; Nuances Connected to Estate Planning for Music Artists Copyrights are an asset class that should be discussed….

Estate Planning for The Likes of Taylor Swift: Considerations for Music Artists Continue Reading »

Contracts, Estate Planning, Wills
Scroll to Top