Wills

Total 464 Posts

The Risky Business of Updating your Will in the Time of COVID-19

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This blog was written by Paula Lester – Estate and Trust Consultant with Scotia Wealth Management It’s the irony of today’s situation: more and more individuals are turning their minds to their estate plans in light of our current pandemic, but getting new Wills drafted and executed right now has become an increasingly difficult endeavour. As a result, we find ourselves trying to get Wills drafted and signed under unideal….

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Contested wills, Estate Planning, Uncategorized, Wills

COVID-19: Virtual Witnessing of Wills and POAs Now Allowed

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It is no surprise that many people are contemplating their own mortalities during the COVID-19 pandemic and wish to make a will. However, the existing laws are particularly unsuited to making wills in a time of social distancing; it will usually be impossible or unsafe to have two people witness the signing of the will in person. Helpfully, the Ontario government has now stepped in to allow for virtual witnessing….

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Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Succession Planning, Uncategorized, Wills

Estate Planning in a Pandemic: No Easy Solutions

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This Blog was written by Suzanna Walter, Estate and Trust Consultant with Scotia Wealth Management It is not surprising that in a pandemic many people are very concerned about their estate plan.  This blog will focus on making a valid Will. In Canada each province and territory has its own legislation which sets out the legal requirements for a valid Will.  Some provinces, such as British Columbia, have a “substantial….

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Estate Planning, Executors, In the News, Uncategorized, Wills

Are wills an essential service?

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Every COVID-19 day we seem to learn a new phrase.  Not so long ago we discovered “social distancing”, and this week it is “essential services”.  The list of services and businesses that we can’t do without varies by province, but most include financial and professional services, including lawyers.  Wills are an essential service and the demand for them is growing. By pointing this out I don’t mean to be alarmist….

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Estate Donations, Estate Planning, Wills

Time to Refreeze: Redux

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The freezing of current share value so that your chosen successors can easily participate in the future growth of your enterprise is a common estate planning technique. What if the value of the frozen shares now exceeds the value of the enterprise as a whole? I wrote about this sometime ago and I think the current economic circumstances create an opportunity to revisit it. The Covid-19 crisis has lead to….

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Business Succession Planning, Canada Revenue Agency, Estate Planning, In the News, Investments, Property, Real Estate, Small Business, Succession Planning, Tax Issues, Trusts, Uncategorized, Wills

Delusions and Capacity

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 This Blog was written by Emily Racine, Estate and Trust Consultant with Scotia Wealth Management We all know how important it is to have a valid will. Part of that validity stems from ensuring that the testator was capable and of sound mind when he or she signed the will.  This test can become tricky, however, if the testator is suffering from delusions or hallucinations. While it seems instinctually clear….

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Capacity Law, Contested wills, Uncategorized, Wills
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