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Posts Categorized: Advice to Executors and Trustees
32 ResultsWhen does a house automatically go to a beneficiary?
Just because you are a beneficiary of someone’s estate does not mean you automatically receive your entitlement. Instead, you will have to wait until it is transferred to you. However, in certain circumstances you may receive real property (e.g., a home) directly three years after the deceased’s passing. When someone dies, their property vests in…read more
What is a Fiduciary?
The term “fiduciary” does not get thrown around frequently outside of some advertisements for investment services. However, fiduciary relationships are at the heart of estate and trust law. What follows is a “Fiduciary FAQ.” What is a fiduciary? A fiduciary is a person who holds some right, power, or authority which, when exercised, impacts the…read more
Part II – Best Practices on Digital Estate Asset Planning
Dear Readers, As you might recall, last Monday’s blog was about cautionary tales which demonstrate the need for prudent estate planning regarding one’s digital assets. I ended that blog on the suggestion that until Ontario accepts the changes proposed by the Canadian Uniform Law Commission’s Uniform Access to Digital Assets by Fiduciaries Act, it is…read more
Compensation for Attorneys for Personal Care
Today’s blog was written by Tyler Lin, student-at-law Good Deeds Deserve Fair Rewards: Daniel Estate (Re) and Ontario’s Common Law Scheme for Compensation for Attorneys for Personal Care Last year, I wrote a blog exploring the theme of whether bad deeds deserve punishment in dependant support claims (the answer: not always). This blog explores whether…read more
What Happens to My Pet When I Die?
For many, the greatest loves of their lives are their furry (or scaly) friends. As a result, there is often a strong desire to make sure they are properly cared for after the testator’s death. How to accomplish this is not always straightforward. In Ontario, animals are considered personal property. This means that you can…read more
Dealing with Squatters in the Family Home
This blog was written by Tyler Lin, Student-At-Law As all litigators know, there are two sides to every story. In the world of estate litigation, it is not uncommon for one side to view themselves as an invited guest entitled to remain in the family home while the other side views them as a squatter….read more
Executor’s Duties and Responsibilities
It is not uncommon for individuals to name a family member or a good friend as the executor (referred to as “estate trustee” in Ontario) of their estate. However, acting as an executor is not always an easy or enviable task; in fact, many executors come to rue the day they ever agreed to act….read more
The Father of My Children: Court-Ordered Paternity Testing
This blog was written by Tyler Lin, student-at-law In the Quebec case of Adoption – 091, Dubois J. made reference to the Latin maxim: “Mater semper certa est, pater incertus,” which means: the mother is always certain, but the father, uncertain. This phrase sums up the historical treatment of paternity before the relatively recent advent…read more
Electronic Filing of Probate Applications
This blog was written by Tyler Lin, student-at-law at de VRIES LITIGATION LLP Effective October 6, 2020, probate applications in Ontario can be filed by e-mail to the Ontario Superior Court at this link.[1] As you might already be aware, a probate application is the court procedure by which a will is proven to be…read more
What Is a Formal Application to Pass Accounts?
Estate trustees, attorneys for property, guardians of property and trustees of a trust (collectively referred to here as “fiduciaries”) are all obligated to keep detailed records, or accounts, of their management of assets. Fiduciaries can be compelled to pass accounts by those with an interest in the trust property or by those with a close…read more