How Long Do You Have to Bring a Will Challenge?

by: , March 26, 2024

In Ontario, most legal claims are subject to the basic two-year limitation period set out in Section 4 of the Limitations Act, 2002, SO 2002, c 24, Sch B (the “Limitations Act”).  This basic limitation period requires legal claims to be brought within two years of the day on which the claim is first discovered….read more

Seeking Court Approval of a Settlement in Writing

by: , January 16, 2024

Minors and incapable persons are protected in a variety of ways in Ontario’s court system. One form of protection comes through Rule 7 of Ontario’s Rules of Civil Procedure (the “Rules”). In particular, subrule 7.08(1) provides: “No settlement of a claim made by or against a person under disability, whether or not a proceeding has…read more

Wait a Minute! I Thought We Agreed to Settle!

by: , October 4, 2023

Litigation is long, expensive, and stressful, and its outcome is never certain. This is why lawyers often encourage their clients to attempt to mediate their legal problems outside the court room. If a mediation is successful, the parties will enter into a settlement agreement which sets out the terms under which the parties agree to…read more

Striking an Affidavit under Rule 25.11

by: , April 24, 2023

In estate litigation, affidavits are a common and crucial source of evidence. On occasion, one party may take issue with an opposing party’s affidavit evidence. When this happens, the usual course of action is to challenge the admissibility of the affidavit evidence at trial or during the main hearing. However, in some circumstances, it may…read more

When Will a Court “Combine” Separate Proceedings?

by: , March 6, 2023

Litigation is complicated, and parties sometimes end up getting involved in a multitude of separate, but nevertheless related, proceedings. When this happens, and depending on the circumstances, courts may choose to “link” or “combine” the related proceedings, for the sake of efficiency and overall convenience. Rule 6 of the Rules of Civil Procedure deals with…read more

Probating vs. Interpreting Wills: What’s the Difference?

by: , January 27, 2023

In the good ol’ days (before the 90’s), Ontario had two separate courts which were responsible for handling matters relating to wills and estates: the Surrogate Court and the Superior Court. The Surrogate Court had strict jurisdiction to deal with probate matters, such as determining whether a will was valid. In contrast, questions about the…read more

Mirror Wills and Mutual Wills: Cooperative Estate Planning

by: , January 9, 2023

For many, marriage represents the intermingling of lives, families, and assets. It can also mean coordinating estate plans. Two common forms of coordinated estate plans are mirror wills and mutual wills – both are particularly useful if the couple have children, either together or from prior relationships. Knowing the difference between these two types of…read more