Replacing an Estate Trustee

Overview In some cases, an estate trustee (“ET”) has been appointed, but needs to be replaced before the estate administration is complete. This can occur for a variety of reasons: the ET becomes unable or unwilling to continue acting for the estate,  the ET is removed by the Court in the course of litigation, or…

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Interim distributions

As many people know, in addition to being expensive, litigation is often slow-moving and lengthy. In an estate with significant or contested issues, litigation can continue for several years. Even in estates without significant disputes, applying for a certificate of appointment and administering an estate can take many months. Further, once a certificate of appointment…

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A brief primer on mediations

Overview Estate litigation is a long, slow and expensive endeavour. Will challenges, support claims or objections to the appointment of a trustee often drag on for years, and can swallow much of the value of the estate at issue. One way to avoid the cost and delay is through a mediated settlement agreement. The purpose…

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(In)Capacity to instruct counsel

July 25, 2023 In the world of estate litigation, an issue that frequently arises is the capacity of an elderly individual to create a will or execute a power of attorney. As is widely known, there are different levels of capacity required for an individual to carry out different tasks; the highest level of capacity…

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