The importance of a factum in litigation cannot be overstated. A factum is a party’s written submissions to the court. The factum summarize the facts of the case, the issues in dispute, and the law being relied upon (with the addition of “overview” and “relief sought” sections at the beginning and end of the factum,…
In its costs decision for Campbell v. Evert (previously blogged about here), the Ontario Superior Court of Justice further distilled the rationale and policy reasons informing the “modern approach” to fixing costs in estate litigation. Background As frequent readers of this blog may recall, Dr. Ewert (the “Deceased”) passed away in 2011. She left behind…
Where does one commence a legal proceeding? When can one transfer a proceeding to one’s own hometown? These are simple enough questions, but with answers that may surprise you. The recent Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision of Estate of Byung Sun Im, deceased, 2018 ONSC 2223, set out the answers clearly. Background Byung Sun…
Can an estate trustee move to strike a beneficiary’s Notice of Objection to Accounts in the face of their Application to Pass Accounts, based on any of the Limitations Act, 2002, and/or laches and acquiescence? This was the discreet, though important, issue considered by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Wall Estate, 2018 ONSC…
Can one rely on extrinsic evidence (i.e. evidence that relates to a will but is not contained in it) to establish the intentions of a testator? This was a question recently considered by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Campbell v. Evert [1]. Background Dr. Ewert had two children, Monica and Peter. Dr. Ewert…
The Ontario Court of Appeal’s reasoning in Bennett v. Bennett Estate[1] is illustrative of the fact that if one is faced with two means of advancing a claim (whether they diverge in a yellow wood or not is not important here), one must be careful when deciding which claim to make. Moreover, the claim must…
A recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision (Stekar v. Wilcox[1]) reinforces what is required to prove well-established grounds for challenging a will: suspicious circumstance and testamentary capacity. Background Jerald P. McNamara (the “Deceased”) died on June 18, 2012. His friend of over 40 years, Thomas, stood to inherit his entire estate under the terms of…
Curtailing Frivolous Will Changes Written by Rebecca Studin Estate litigators would be wise to sharpen their skills and revisit what it means to launch a will challenge when confronted with only the flimsiest of evidence. Continue Reading . . . You Can’t Gift What You Don’t Have Written By Jacob Kaufman While Mary had more than…
Claims against solicitors for negligence often arise in the context of estates cases, whether it be the failure of a lawyer to ensure that a testator’s wishes are accurately reflected in his/her will, to neglecting to confirm the testator had the requisite capacity and was not subject to undue influence in executing his/her last will….
When combatants settle a lawsuit, they often exchange mutual releases – that is, they release each other from all and any possible claims arising out of the issues raised in the litigation. However, releases can be the bane of a lawyer’s existence when it comes to getting the words just right. Clients don’t think they…