big residential family home on large property

Is Probate really necessary? Not if it is the “First Dealing” of the Property since Conversion

Several years ago the Province of Ontario changed from the Registry System to the Land Titles Conversion Qualified (LTCQ) system for the registration and searching of real estate title (ownership).  The Registry Systems was a paper system, whereas, the LTCQ system is an electronic system, which provides efficiency in searching and registering title and provides […]

A Taste of the Estate Administration Process

What is the Estate? When a person passes away, all assets that the individual leaves behind may be referred to as that person’s “estate”. Generally, this could include bank accounts, investments, cash, jewelry, cars, business interests and the like. Sometimes the deceased owns a fractional interest in the asset (such as a part of a […]

The Estate Trustee's Tasks

The Estate Trustee’s tasks during the Administration of an Estate

Today’s post highlights some important items that an Estate Trustee must turn his or her attention to during the administration of an Estate. In a nutshell, an Estate Trustee’s role includes tasks such as gathering and managing assets, paying debts and expenses, locating the beneficiaries an distributing the estate to those entitled. However, from start […]

Estate planning for Separated Couples – reasons to get your will done or re-done

In Ontario, simply being separated from your spouse and not obtaining legal divorce may put your estate plan in jeopardy. Section 17(2) of the Succession Law Reform Act (“SLRA”) provides that for parties that have obtained legal divorce, any reference to a former spouse in an individual’s will is revoked and the will is construed […]

Probate and Estate Administration Tax

When acting as a prospective estate trustee in Ontario, it is often necessary to apply to the court for a certificate of appointment of estate trustee. Although it is commonly referred to as “probate”, the certificate of appointment is essentially a validation of a will or, in a scenario where no will exists, an authorization […]

Joining Assets with Children

We recently came across an individual asking whether he could avoid the cost of preparing a Will by simply ‘joining’ all his assets with his children. Perhaps you may also have someone give you such an idea in order to skip the preparation of a Will because it’s “easier and cheaper to just join your […]