Wills

Total 460 Posts

A Closer Look at Simultaneous Deaths

Recently, the world learned of the passing of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa in what appeared to very strange circumstances. Initially, there were concerns that their deaths may have been as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. Autopsy reports have later revealed that this is not the case. Almost immediately, the media started talking about their Estates, with initial reports suggesting that Gene’s Will did not name….

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

Undue Influence: A Primer

Generally, the validity of a last will and testament can be challenged on the basis of: (i) lack of testamentary capacity; (ii) undue influence; (iii) lack of knowledge and approval of the will; and/or (iv) fraud. While allegations relating to undue influence often go hand-in-hand with claims relating to lack of testamentary capacity, it is not always so. In fact, undue influence may exist even where the testator has capacity….

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Contested wills, Courts, Estate Litigation, Undue influence, Wills

Inflation factor in hotchpot

Today’s blog was written by Kelsey Buchmayer, associate with the Ottawa office of Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP Including an inflation adjustment clause in a Will where the circumstances so warrant can help with achieving fairness. The fairness can be as simple as ensuring monetary values expressed in a Will are brought up to the real dollar value as at the date of death using an inflation factor. A less obvious….

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Wills

Is it a Handwritten Note or Will?

This blog post was written by: Alicia Mossington, Estate and Trust Consultant, Scotiatrust London Historically in Ontario, a Last Will and Testament was required to meet strict formal validity requirements to be considered valid. The requirements set out in the Succession Law Reform Act required a Will to be in writing and signed by the testator in the presence of two witnesses who also signed the document. There was a….

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Contested wills, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Estate Planning, Executors, Testamentary Capacity, Wills

Is it a Digital Will?

Today’s blog was written by K. Thomas Grozinger, C.S., LL.B., TEP, Principal Trust Specialist with RBC Royal Trust Our lives continue to be impacted by rapid changes in technology. In an era where many aspects of daily living involve interaction with some form of electronic or digital media, even estate planning and estate administration are not immune to the developments of the Information Age.  As evidence of just how pervasive….

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Estate Litigation, Wills

Executor on the Case: Becoming a Detective for Missing Assets

Much has been written on All About Estates on the topic of missing heirs – how to find them, and what to do if you can’t. But what happens if you have missing assets? Perhaps you’ve been appointed as an executor of an estate where you have very little information about the deceased’s assets. Or maybe you have an understanding that there’s a bank account at one of the big….

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Estate Administration, Estate Administration and Probate Applications, Executors, Probate Tax, Wills
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