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In the recent decision of Pitt v. Beattie, 2025 ONSC 5654 (CanLII) (“Beattie”), the court considered the rule in Saunders v. Vautier and whether the sole beneficiary of a trust could demand a larger distribution than the trustee was willing to provide. In Beattie, the last will and testament provided that the residue of the estate was to be held in trust until the beneficiary turned 25. At the time….

A recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court serves as a reminder that a moral obligation does not necessarily translate into a legal one. In McNeill v. Phillips, 2025 ONSC 5779, the Court struck a claim that sought to impose a duty of care where none existed in law. The plaintiff, the biological daughter of the deceased, brought a negligence claim against her mother’s spouse, who was not her biological….