This week, our own Timothy Sullivan’s first piece for The Lawyer’s Daily covers how lawyers can more successfully manage the sometimes tense situations that arise when common-law partners approach the Wills & Estates process. In the past 10 years, the number of common law couples in Canada has grown at something like four times the […]
A trusted confidante can be helpful in lots of ways Sometimes, a client going through a separation or divorce will ask me – usually with some trepidation – if they can bring a friend or family member to a meeting. Though we’re often taught that lawyer meetings should be ‘private’, the truth is that having
On November 14th, Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa announced that home buyers will now get a $4,000 rebate on their land-transfer tax (LTT) when purchasing their first home. The provision is expected to take effect on January 1, 2017.Ă‚Â It would double the existing tax break for first-time home buyers already in place. This larger
Hardly anyone enjoys the prospect of preparing a will. But without one, you not only run the risk of having your estate distributed contrary to your wishes – you may be leaving your family and friends with a legal mess to clean up after you’re gone. Don’t think of a will as something ‘morbid’; think
How to make it easier to organize and allocate household ‘stuff’ when a parent has died When people think about being an executor of a will, they often focus on the administrative part: Making sure they know where the will is, meeting with the lawyer, contacting beneficiaries, ensuring the paperwork is completed and filed
The series of checks and balances that help to protect clients With the news so often carrying stories of lawyers involved in scandals, it’s hard not to worry that you’ll choose a lawyer only to be disappointed or blindsided by their behaviour or work. It’s important to keep in mind that the vast majority of
Avoid conflict over disinheritance by being upfront From this week’s article on Advocate Daily, by our own Timothy Sullivan: The decision to disinherit a child may be reasonable depending on the circumstances, but it will likely lead to hurt relationships and confusion if an upfront conversation with family members doesn’t take place first, says Ottawa
If you’ve got children or a house, you might not like what happens to your estate This excellent video from LAWPRO sums up the basics – and why taking the time to make a will now could have huge benefits for your family later.
Without a plan in place, your social media profile may live forever We’ve talked before about how important it is to have a properly-written-and-witnessed will in place – and how it’s the sort of thing that so many people put off until it’s too late. But here’s something to consider: Ă‚Â Most of us think about
