With limited exceptions, starting with the 2023 tax year, the trust reporting rules in Canada have expanded to capture bare trust...

A recent article published in the Globe and Mail* estimates that over the next 10 years, Canadians will inherit an estimated One Trillion...

The Canadian income tax system uses the individual as the tax unit rather than the family. In many cases, this results in unequal tax...

In Ontario, there are certain formalities that must be followed for a Will to be validly executed: (1) the testator (Will signer) must...

Back in February, I wrote about changes to the Estates Act and the Rules of Civil Procedure which established a simplified probate...

The Ontario government has introduced the Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2020 (the “Justice Act”), which amends more than twenty...

This blog post will focus on Estate Administration Tax (“EAT”) and a commonly used planning strategy to reduce the amount of EAT payable.

Virtual Will Signings are Temporarily Legal - Wills and Powers of Attorney during the COVID-19 Pandemic

When a loved one passes away, the family has the inevitable task of dealing with the deceased’s affairs and administering their estate....

As a general rule, in Ontario, we have “testamentary freedom” or the autonomy to distribute our assets as we wish. I say, as a general...

A common concern I hear from clients with young children is how to protect their children’s inheritances. The best way to protect assets...

Here is a typical scenario: You attend at your bank to set up a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) or a Tax Free Savings Account...

A power of attorney is a legal document by which you (called the “grantor”) appoint a person or persons (the “attorney”) to make...

In my last blog post, I discussed the reasons why parents of young children need to have valid Wills in place. While it is true that...

I have a confession to make: I didn’t have a will until a few days before I started my maternity leave with my first child. As a wills...

In my practice, I frequently encounter elderly parents who have added their adult child to their bank or investment accounts, or...