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Posts Categorized: Estate Litigation
183 ResultsDealing 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
The Sherman Murders At the Supreme Court: Balancing Privacy with Openness
Almost three years ago today, billionaire couple Barry and Honey Sherman were found murdered in their North York mansion. Their murderer(s) remain at large. In an unusual move, their probate files were sealed to protect the safety, privacy and dignity of the trustees and beneficiaries of their estates. This decision was appealed and now the…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
What is a “Common Law Spouse”?
In Canada, every person is afforded certain protections in the event they get divorced. For example, there are statutes in place to help determine how the couple will divide their property and whether one of them is entitled to child support or spousal support (and what amount). However, not every couple in a committed, long-term…read more
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) – Part II
Attracting the interest of critics in criminal law, constitutional law, health law, elder law and beyond, MAID continues to be among the most hotly debated topics in the contemporary Canadian legal landscape. In 1993, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) rejected a Charter challenge to the Criminal Code provisions at the time which prohibited MAID…read more
‘Leave Them A Buck And They Can’t Challenge Your Will’ – Nope, Not That Simple
A common myth about estate planning is that if you leave a nominal amount (say $1.00) to someone it prevents them from challenging your will. Like most urban legends, there is a grain of truth here – but it’s still a myth. This grain of truth is that one of the grounds to challenge a…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
What is a CPL and How Do I Get One?
A certificate of pending litigation (commonly referred to as “CPL”) provides notice that a legal proceeding has been commenced questioning the owner’s interest in land. In order to be effective, a CPL must be issued by a court and registered on title to the land in dispute. Once it has been registered on title, a…read more
Ambiguous Wills and How They Are Interpreted
The occasion may arise that a testator’s intentions as expressed in their Will are unclear. The ambiguity may be the result of drafting errors in the Will or a change in circumstances between the date the testator signed the Will and the date of death, but this change is not addressed in the Will. In…read more
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) – Still Controversial
In Canada, MAID has now been legal since June 2016 when the Parliament of Canada passed federal legislation that allowed eligible Canadian adults to request medical assistance in dying. However, the issue is by no means settled and the courts have been frequently called upon to referee MAID’s implementation and application. By way of background,…read more