Wills – Page 4 – All About Estates

Plan Today, Protect Tomorrow: Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Make or Update Your Will

Jennifer Campbell • October 24, 2025 • 0 Comments

November is Make a Will Month, an annual initiative designed to raise awareness about the importance of having a Will. A Will is one of the most critical legal documents you can have, as it ensures that your wishes are respected and your loved ones are provided for after your passing. Despite its significance, many Canadians delay creating a Will, often due to misconceptions about its necessity, the belief that….

Plan Today, Protect Tomorrow: Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Make or Update Your Will Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, Succession Planning, Wills

Who Should Be Your Executor in Ontario? Avoiding Conflict and Ensuring Good Governance

Gowling WLG LLP • October 21, 2025 • 0 Comments

Ashley Thornton, articling student and Maddi Thomas, associate of Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP Choosing your executor (also called an estate trustee in Ontario) is one of the most consequential decisions you will make in the estate planning process. It’s not – or shouldn’t be – about rank in the family, or feelings. Rather, it is about appointing a person who is competent, neutral, trustworthy, and willing to carry out your….

Who Should Be Your Executor in Ontario? Avoiding Conflict and Ensuring Good Governance Continue Reading »

Executors, Wills

Does the Presumption of Advancement Apply to Joint Bank Accounts with a Common-Law Spouse?

Tamar Silverbrook • October 17, 2025 • 1 Comment

The addition of a common-law partner as a joint owner of a bank account with a right of survivorship may give rise to initial uncertainty as to whether the arrangement constitutes a gift. While such a designation may appear to be a gratuitous transfer, the presumption of advancement does not apply to a common law spouse added onto a joint account, even if there is a right of survivorship. If….

Does the Presumption of Advancement Apply to Joint Bank Accounts with a Common-Law Spouse? Continue Reading »

Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Spouse, Wills

Young, Married, and Prepared: A First Experience with Wills and POAs

Betty Laidlaw • October 10, 2025 • 1 Comment

As we head into Thanksgiving weekend, I am sharing a guest post written by my son. Earlier this year, he and his partner celebrated a beautiful wedding surrounded by family and friends. Like many life milestones, it prompted some important conversations about their future together, including what would happen if something unexpected occurred. In this post, he shares his experience with estate planning as a newlywed, and the process of….

Young, Married, and Prepared: A First Experience with Wills and POAs Continue Reading »

Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Spouse, Wills

When One Clause or Designation Derails an Estate Plan

Scotiatrust • October 2, 2025 • 0 Comments

This blog post was written by: Dave Madan, Senior Manager, Scotiatrust Recent decisions from the British Columbia Court of Appeal have underscored how fragile an estate plan can become when a Will is ambiguous, or when life insurance and beneficiary designations conflict with the testator’s broader intentions. These cases remind us that estate planning isn’t just about having a Will, it’s about making sure the pieces are consistent, coherent, and….

When One Clause or Designation Derails an Estate Plan Continue Reading »

Appeals, Contested wills, Courts, Estate Litigation, Insurance, Wills

Cottage Trust Planning – Points for Consideration

Emily Hubling • September 19, 2025 • 0 Comments

Fall officially arrives on Monday. School has started, the leaves are turning colour, and for many families, it’s time to think about closing the cottage for the year. As estate planners know, the cottage is not an ordinary asset. It’s a special place where memories are made and traditions are passed down, and as a result, planning for its succession can be challenging. Often, individuals will include a trust in….

Cottage Trust Planning – Points for Consideration Continue Reading »

Cottage, Estate Planning, Property, Succession Planning, Trustee, Trusts, Wills