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I do not like the estate trustee/executor – can I get rid of them?
Can you apply for the removal of the estate trustee? Section 37(3) of the Trustee Act provides the court with legislative authority to grant an order removing an estate trustee upon the application of: -any executor or administrator desiring to be relieved from the duties of the office, or -any executor or administrator complaining of…read more
Does a Joint Bank Account Go to the Survivor or the Estate?
The Law of Resulting Trusts What happens to jointly owned assets following the death of one of the joint owners? In the normal course, full ownership passes to the surviving owner.[1] However, this result may seem unfair where only one of the owners paid for the property or, in the case of bank accounts, only…read more
What Happens When a Fiduciary Misappropriates Funds?
There is growing concern about the financial exploitation of the elderly by their attorneys for property. The combination of a cognitively impaired grantor (a person who appoints an attorney for property) paired with an attorney who has unfettered access to all of the grantor’s property creates the potential for financial abuse by attorneys. A power…read more
Ten Things You Need to Know Before Challenging a Will
The death of a loved one is a painful experience. The loss can become all the more difficult to accept for a potential beneficiary who had an expectation of receiving an inheritance under the deceased’s Will, but instead receives less than expected or nothing at all. The disappointed beneficiary may feel compelled to challenge the…read more
The Rights of a Surviving Spouse – Spousal Election
I just finished watching Mrs. America, the recent TV series that chronicles the fight by women in the 1970s to enshrine the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the US Constitution. First proposed in 1921, the ERA sought to mandate equality between men and woman. In 1972, Congress passed the ERA, but they could not obtain…read more
Matrimonial Homes and Resulting Trusts
When a parent transfers property to a capable adult child without getting anything in return, the law does not assume this is a gift. Instead there is a (rebuttable) presumption that the child holds this property in trust for the parent (called a resulting trust). But what happens when that property is a matrimonial home…read more
Can an Attorney for Personal Care be Compensated?
When the issue of compensation is not specifically addressed in the Power of Attorney for Personal Care, a guardian for personal care may be wondering whether they are entitled to compensation. Legislation, however, does not provide a clear answer. While under the Substitute Decisions Act an attorney for property is expressly allowed to take compensation,…read more
My Sister Died Without a Will – What Happens Now?
A will allows an individual to decide in advance who will administer her estate and who will receive her assets when she dies. Testamentary freedom is guaranteed to all Canadians, meaning we are free to choose who will benefit from our estates: family members, friends, pets, charities, or our favourite sports team. (Note that most…read more
The Risks of Being an Estate Trustee
A recent news story highlighted one estate trustee’s regretful experience administering an estate. Due to lengthy litigation involving the validity of the Will and an unsuccessful result for the estate trustees, the estate trustee was ordered to personally pay over $100,000.00 in legal fees. While the personal cost order was a result of a unique…read more
Ten Things an Attorney for Property Should Know Before Acting
Acting as the attorney for property of an incapable person comes with important responsibilities that should not be taken lightly or underestimated. However, a person who takes on the role may be unaware of their obligations under the Substitute Decisions Act, S.O. 1992, c.30, the legislation in Ontario that governs powers of attorney. In particular:…read more