Wills

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The Benefits and Limitations of “Family Law Clauses”

This week’s blog has been written by Darren Lund Estate planning and family law intersect in numerous ways. One of the most obvious intersections between these two areas of law is the so-called “family law clause” that appears in Ontario wills, deeds of gift, and inter vivos trusts. Although the clause is ubiquitous, it is one that is easily misunderstood by lay readers of wills, deeds of gift, and trusts…..

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Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills

A Selfie Isn’t a Will: The Problem with Video “Wills”

scotiatrust

This blog post was written by: Dave Madan, Senior Manager, Scotiatrust   This summer, the Montana Supreme Court had to weigh in on a modern question: can a selfie video serve as a person’s last Will? The short answer was no. In a case that made headlines, the court rejected a man’s video-recorded “selfie Will.” Even though he clearly expressed that he wanted his brother to inherit everything, the court ruled….

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Contested wills, Estate Planning, Wills

The Letter of Wishes: A Personal Touch to your Estate Plan

Today’s blog was written by Courtney Lanthier, Law Clerk at Fasken LLP. As estate planning legal professionals, we sometimes lose sight of how difficult and confusing reading a Will can be, often full of “legalese” and sentences that seem to go on forever. An executor reading the will may not fully grasp what it is they are meant to do and how to make the difficult decisions they are asked….

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Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills

To Validate or Not to Validate: That is the Question

Today’s blog has been written by David C. Rosenbaum, Partner, at Fasken LLP Subsection 21.1(1) of the Succession Law Reform Act (SLRA) permits the Superior Court of Justice to validate a document or will that was not properly executed or made under the Act, if the deceased died after January 1, 2022, and the Court is satisfied that the document or will “sets out the testamentary intentions of a deceased”…..

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Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Succession Planning, Wills

Navigating Bequests of Real Estate Under Your Will: Language Matters

  Are you planning to leave real estate to a loved one under your Will? Do you want that property to be transferred free of debt or other claims? If you’re making a specific gift of your interest in freehold or leasehold property that is subject to a mortgage, as defined in Ontario’s Succession Law Reform Act (RSO 1990, c S.26) (“SLRA”), at the date of your death (the “Property”),….

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Estate Planning, Property, Real Estate, Succession Planning, Wills

Trusteeship Part 2: Avoiding Pitfalls—Best Practices for Estate Trustees

Today’s blog has been written by Latoya Brown, Associate, at Fasken LLP In Part 1 of this series, we explored the importance of selecting the right trustee, using Jones v. Jones[1] to highlight what can go wrong when a trustee lacks a clear understanding of their fiduciary obligations. In this follow-up, we turn to what happens after the appointment—how trustees can fulfill their duties effectively and avoid the kind of….

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Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Property, Trustee, Undue influence, Wills
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