In nearly every lawsuit, opposing parties put forward different versions of events. After listening to the conflicting evidence, the judge has to make a decision about what really happened. The judge’s determination often hinges on an assessment of the reliability and credibility of the witnesses. Deciding whether a witness is reliable and credible is not
Doing the work of an estate trustee can be demanding and thankless. It usually involves endless paperwork and multiple visits to the bank. However, the job is made much more difficult when it is unclear whether the deceased is, in fact, dead. While it may seem obvious, death is usually confirmed by examining a body.
Costs follow the event. This can be translated as the “loser pays” principle which has applied in estate litigation for many years now (since at least the seminal decision in Salter v. Salter Estate, 2009 CanLII 28403 (ON SC), decided by Justice D.M. Brown, as he then was). But in estate litigation there is often
Personal Service An originating process is the very first document which allows either a plaintiff in an action, or an applicant in an application, to commence legal proceedings. Service of an originating process serves the important function of providing notice of the legal proceeding to those parties involved, and to other persons who could be
Under the laws of Ontario, certain rights and benefits are conveyed to a “spouse.” However, there is not a universal definition of “spouse”: whether you qualify for spousal benefits depends on the governing statute. Below is a summary of some of the most common rights and benefits sought by a “spouse” on the death of
