Your last Will and Testament represents your final opportunity to organize and control the disposition of your estate. Failure to complete your last Will means that a statutory scheme will determine the disposition of your estate. The statutory scheme is far from adequate in addressing all the issues that are typically dealt with in [...]
Did you know that statistics show that less than 50% of all Canadians have a Last Will and Testament? This is a surprising statistic considering that, without a Will, the distribution of the assets owned by you on your death will be determined by provincial legislation. For instance, if your spouse and children have [...]
Have you ever wondered what would happen if, upon your death, your Will could not be located? Loss or destruction of a Will is an occurrence that hopefully would not befall you or your friends, because a presumption that the Will was revoked can arise. Although uncommon, however, some Wills are either lost or [...]
Did you know that under the Family Law Act a surviving spouse has the ability to cause a “rewrite” of the Will of the deceased? This may come as a surprise to you. You must be wondering how is it that a surviving spouse can cause an alteration of the Will of his or [...]
This appears to be an innocuous question. However, it may be of some surprise to you to know that in some instances a second or multiple Wills are in fact advisable. We are not referring to redoing your first Will or doing a codicil to make a change or changes to your first Will. [...]
As many of you know, there is an ever-increasing tendency for individuals to co-habit as partners or common law spouses without entering into a marriage. Such arrangements may be opposite or same sex relationships. Some of the relationships are short term and/or may not be regarded as common law relationships. Partners and spouses who [...]
