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Posts Categorized: Power of Attorney
11 ResultsWhat 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 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
Who makes decisions for me if I become incapable and have not made plans?
Before COVID-19, many of us had earmarked 2020 as the year we would get our affairs in order, including preparing powers of attorney for personal care and property. Unfortunately we may have not gotten around to it. The pandemic has accelerated discussions about intubation, CPR and end of life care. Additionally, many people, especially those…read more
No Undue Influence, Says Court of Appeal
Rita and her late husband Frank built a successful business together in the course of their lengthy marriage. Unfortunately, there is a struggle between Rita’s twin sons (both named Jean) over who should act as their mother’s attorney for property, devastating both the family’s finances and relationship. The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal of…read more
Home? Or a Retirement Home? The Court Must Decide
An elderly woman suffers from dementia. Her two children are both her attorneys for property and personal care. Both have diametrically opposed plans for where she would live. In Walter Burnat v Mary Bosworth et al, 2016 ONSC 2607 (S.C.J.) the court had to decide whether the mother – Olga – would continue to live…read more
Happy 65th Birthday from the Canadian Government
Canadians can rejoice at turning 65 – you are now eligible for the government benefits offered to seniors. In order to spend more time eating cake and less time searching for the benefits that apply to you, provincial and federal benefits are listed in one convenient website. The list briefly summarizes the different benefits available,…read more
End of Life Decisions and the Substitute Decision Maker
When the end is near, decisions regarding food are up to the substitute decision maker In a recent article for the New York Times, Theresa Brown, a hospice nurse and author, described the story of an Italian grandmother who was caring for her dying husband. Her husband was long past the point of being able…read more
Physician-Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die
Could Canadians one day be able to make a power of attorney that authorizes their death? In a Charter decision that may already rank among its most significant, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously struck down the criminal offences that prohibit aiding or abetting a person to commit suicide this past month. The ruling, in…read more
Choosing a POA: A Litigator’s Perspective
Two things got me thinking about power of attorney litigation. I listened to a great program on CBC on Sunday, where the guests – an estate litigator in Toronto and an elder law specialist from the west – talked about the trend that many estate litigators have seen lately. That is, would-be heirs no longer…read more
Congratulations – It’s A Girl!
A new study reported on this week found that daughters are significantly more helpful than sons when it comes to taking care of their elderly parents. Referencing data found from surveying 26,000 Americans, it seems that daughters spend on average 12.3 hours a month looking after an elderly parent versus sons who spend on average 5.6 hours…read more