Executors

Total 353 Posts

In Whose Best Interests? Estate Planning for Artists

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A recent case involving the estate of Canadian artist and figure skating legend, Toller Cranston (“Toller”), highlights the importance of estate planning for artists.  Administering posthumous intellectual property can be complex and without guidance from the testator, disputes will often arise between trustees and the estate’s beneficiaries due to competing interests. Toller died in 2015 while living in Mexico.  He left no will. Toller was a prolific artist and his….

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Estate Planning, Executors, Wills

Sealing One’s Fate: The Sherman Murders, Probate and Perseverance

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On June 18, 2018, Justice Dunphy made ex parte orders sealing the court files relating to the Sherman Estates. On catching wind of the sealing orders, the Toronto Star, and one of its reporters, Kevin Donovan, brought a motion to terminate the sealing orders. They succeeded on appeal…..

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Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Executors, In the News, Wills

It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over*

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A “passing of accounts” refers to the process of formally preparing and presenting accounts to the beneficiaries and the court. The accounts are either approved (i.e., “passed”) in the form presented, amended by court order and passed in revised form, or not passed because the court is not satisfied with the accounts or some aspect of the administration of the estate or property being managed by a fiduciary. Pursuant to….

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Capacity Law, Caregiving, Costs, Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Litigation, Executors, Family Conflict, Fiduciary Professions, Passing Of Trustees’ and Executors’ Accounts, Power of Attorney, Powers Of Attorney and Guardianship Disputes, Trustee, Trustee Disputes

Significant Tax Re-Assessment Due to An Estate Valuation Gone Wrong

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I have been writing about valuations for estate plan agreements, highlighting that they should be based on fair and reasonable methods, prepared in good faith, properly supported and documented at the time of valuation. In Lewin v. the Queen 2019 TCC 21, The Lewin Estate was appealing a significant tax reassessment of the deceased’s terminal return issued some five years after the original assessment. The issue to be decided is….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Executors, Investments, Tax Issues, Trustee, Uncategorized

Pipelines and non-resident beneficiaries

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Without proper tax planning, private company shareholders face the prospect of a double tax on the value of shares – once at the time of death and again when the successor beneficiaries extract the share value from the company.  Post mortem “pipeline” planning solves this problem by allowing the estate to extract the share value without additional tax paid in the deceased shareholder’s final return, that is, before a recently….

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Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors, Tax Issues

When Cash is not King?

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Most people keep their cash in bank accounts. However, to my surprise, some people still don’t, and for estate planning and administration purposes, this can be a real problem. Take the case of Temple v. Peddle, 2019 NLCA 2 in Newfoundland Labrador. Mrs. Peddle kept cash in a safe deposit box under a joint account with Mrs. Peddle’s son Leo, who was ultimately appointed guardian of her estate. Leo claimed….

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Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors, Family Conflict, Geriatric Care Management, Investments, Trustee
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