Wills

Total 473 Posts

When Will a Court Reconsider Its Decision?

Judges cannot reconsider their decision – once an order is issued, the judge’s job (and jurisdiction to hear further arguments) is done. In very limited cases, a party may ask the court to reconsider after the decision is released but before a formal order is taken out. However, the test to meet is high…..

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Appeals, Capacity Law, Contested wills, Courts, Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Litigation, Family Conflict, Wills

Gotta Catch ‘Em All: Pokémon Cards and Personalty Clauses

Just under six years ago, I bought a Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) Venusaur Ex Red and Blue Collection Box. I was feeling stressed about studying for my law school exams and, being a massive Pokémon fan, I went for a walk to my local hobby store and decided to engage in some retail therapy. For those of you who are not TCG players, it’s hard to explain the wonderful….

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Contested wills, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Succession Planning, Wills

What Happens if Something Happens to your Executor?

Choosing who to name as the executor of your estate is an important decision to make when preparing your will (and a topic on which other All About Estates blogs have been written). But what happens if something happens to your executor, and they are unable or unwilling to act? Who will administer your estate? This blog will explore the scenario of an executor dying before the testator (the writer….

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Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Executors, Wills

Will The Vacant Home Tax Impact Use of the Principal Residence Exemption; Estate Planning Considerations

  Overview The Ontario government has enabled municipalities to enact a tax on vacant residential units in their regions (Granted under Part IX.1 of the Municipal Act).[1] Each municipality has to pass a By-Law stating the tax rate and conditions of vacancy that, if met, make a property subject to the tax. The Council of the City of Toronto enacted their By-Law, deeming it to have come into force on….

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Estate Planning, Executors, In the News, Property, Real Estate, Tax Issues, Uncategorized, Wills

Suspicious Circumstances – For Wills Only

Because the doctrine of suspicious circumstances was developed in respect of probate and wills, it cannot easily be exported into other areas of law, including contract law…..

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Capacity Law, Contested wills, Contracts, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Executors, Geriatric Care Management, Property, Real Estate, Testamentary Capacity, Trustee, Undue influence, Wills

By Branch But Within Its Own Class: Interpreting Per Stirpes in a Will

Per stirpes. It is a term that is often used in estate planning and will drafting yet is also one which frequently causes problems. Perhaps because the meaning is not always understood, even by estates practitioners, and therefore the term is misused. Or it could be because the term can be interpreted differently when a testator’s intentions are taken into account.  In the recent decision in Jonas v Jonas, 2022….

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Estate Litigation, Wills
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