Estate Law
Estate Law
On January 1, 2022, Ontario made a major change to how wills are treated under the Succession Law Reform Act (SLRA). The changes to the SLRA allowed Ontario to move away from strict compliance for wills and to a more flexible approach known as substantial compliance. Up until that point, if a will did not…
A Will is an important legal document; it ensures that your estate is protected, your beneficiaries are provided for, and your final wishes are respected. It also allows you to engage in estate planning to minimize probate fees and delays. Not having a Will results in your estate being distributed under the legislative regime in…
Despite what some people might think, estate administration does not always happen instantly. When someone passes away, distributing the estate can take months. And, if passing of accounts is required, it can add additional time, money, and complexity to the estate administration process. Passing of accounts is a court audit of the executor’s actions regarding…
Estate planning can be a difficult task, but it’s even more difficult when you don’t fully understand the terms used in this area of law and how they relate to you. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the key terms that will be helpful to understand if you’re planning a will or if…
The executor of a will has many responsibilities, and they can be complicated if they are not understood. In this article, we will go through some of the main duties of executors in Ontario so they can understand their role very clearly. In most cases, being an executor is a rewarding experience that allows you…
In the recent case of Unger Estate (Re) in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the executors of the deceased’s estate approached the Court for guidance on what to do in rare and tragic circumstances. The court was called upon to decide whether a son that murdered his mother could inherit under the Will or…