What is a “Common Law Spouse”?

by: , October 27, 2020

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

by: , October 19, 2020

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

Electronic Filing of Probate Applications

by: , October 13, 2020

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

‘Leave Them A Buck And They Can’t Challenge Your Will’ – Nope, Not That Simple

by: , October 5, 2020

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