Succession Planning

Total 151 Posts

Lam v Law Estate: Gender bias permits variation of discriminatory will

Today’s blog post was written by Latoya Brown, an Associate at Fasken LLP. The discussion of discriminatory wills continues with a new case out of the British Columbia Supreme Court. In Lam v Law Estate, 2024 BCSC 156, the court varied a testatrix’s will on the reasoning that the testatrix’s bias did not meet contemporary standards of fairness. The testatrix was survived by her two independent adult children, her son….

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Capacity Law, Caregiving, Compensation, Contested wills, Courts, Dependant Support, Elder Law, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Succession Planning, Uncategorized, Wills

Cross-Border Insurance Planning – Some Basics

Cross-border insurance planning is tricky but understanding the basics can go a long way in assisting clients. This short article will review some of the key questions to consider in order to avoid potential pitfalls in life insurance planning. Who is the Owner, the Insured and the Beneficiary In the context of personal insurance planning, it is important to appreciate that there are always three (3) parties involved; the owner,….

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Estate Planning, Insurance, International, IRS, Succession Planning, Tax Issues, U.S. Citizen, US Taxes

Estate Planning and the Indian Act: Considerations for Spouses Without Indian Status

Maddi Thomas associate Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP Estate planning presents several unique considerations for Indigenous peoples to whom the Indian Act applies: i.e., First Nation peoples who possess Indian status (“status”) and who “ordinarily reside”[1] on reserve land.[2] To be clear, while the term “Indian” may not be appropriate to use in most circumstances, the phrase still possesses legal meaning under the Indian Act as an Indigenous person “with status” and thus in certain….

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Spouse, Succession Planning, Wills

ILIT – An Estate Planning Vehicle for the U.S. Person

An irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) is an estate planning vehicle worth some consideration for U.S. citizens living in Canada.  Many estate advisors are unaware that U.S. citizens subscribing to life insurance on their life will have the death benefits included in the value of their taxable estate for U.S. estate tax purposes.  An ILIT may provide an opportunity to avoid such an outcome. What is an ILIT? An ILIT….

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Canadian and US Tax Treaty, Estate Planning, Insurance, Succession Planning, Tax Issues, U.S. Citizen, US Taxes

Who holds the burden of proof when undue influence is claimed?

A man photographs seagulls.

In the estates context, undue influence is often alleged in order to challenge a will or an inter vivos transfer of property, often a family home or cottage. When a party in a legal dispute alleges that there was undue influence which party bears the burden of proving (or disproving) whether this is true? Will challenges Generally speaking, if a will meets the criteria for formal validity, it will be….

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Elder Care, Estate Litigation, Joint Tenancy, Power of Attorney, Succession Planning, Testamentary Capacity, Undue influence, Wills

When Parent and Child have a Joint Bank Account: Who Receives Funds upon Parent’s Death?

This blog has been written by Lily MacLeod [Associate] at Fasken LLP It is common for an elderly parent to set up a joint bank account with their adult child. This enables the child to help manage the parent’s finances freely and efficiently (either as the parent’s attorney for property or more informally). Some families may assume that title to the account funds will pass to the adult child by….

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Elder Law, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Resulting Trust, Succession Planning, Trusts, Wills
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