As an Estate Trustee, you might find yourself in a difficult situation in which a family member of the deceased is unreasonably refusing to vacate the Estate house. Often these occupants are sons or daughters of the deceased who have been living rent free in the Deceased’s house for 30,…
News & Resources
What Is Probate and When Is It Required?
If you are an executor of an estate or are named in a will as a beneficiary, you may be wondering, “What is probate?” Probate is the legal process of being appointed by the Court as the estate trustee of a deceased person’s estate. If there is no will, the…
Litigation Duo Joins Kelly Santini LLP
Kelly Santini is pleased to welcome the commercial and construction litigation team of John Melia and Kara Takagi to the firm. A leading commercial and construction lawyer, John Melia brings over 20 years of experience representing Canadian and international clients in the construction industry. His practice also includes advising on…
Estate Planning: Advice & Best Practices For Reducing or Eliminating Probate Tax
There are several important factors to consider when estate planning, especially if you’d like to eliminate the need for probate, minimize probate tax, and make it easier on your loved ones upon your passing. This includes creating a will, considering joint ownership, making beneficiary designations, gifting assets, and more. Here,…
The Duties of an Estate Trustee
When a person passes away, their estate is usually administered by an executor or estate trustee. The duties of an estate trustee are numerous and varied, but can broadly be divided into two categories: administering the estate and distributing the assets. Another main duty of the trustee is to plan…
You Can’t Just Take Alicent Hightower’s Word For It: Corroborating Evidence In Estate Litigation
Spoiler alert: This article contains House of the Dragon finale spoilers! If you’ve seen the final episodes of House of the Dragon, then you know that the King, on his deathbed, made some vague and garbled statements about who should inherit the throne. The Queen, the sole witness of those statements,…
Moratorium on Purchases of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Coming into Force on Jan 1, 2023
The new Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act (“Act”) will be in force for 2 years starting January 1, 2023. With some exceptions, this means that non-Canadians cannot directly or indirectly purchase any residential property. A non-Canadian is defined under the Act as: a. an individual…
Electronic Monitoring Policy Now Required From Employers
Within the last couple of years, working from home has become a prevalent new way of life, creating a new workstyle for employees and employers. With those changes a variety of privacy concerns arose within the workplace. In an aim to address those concerns and to provide greater transparency in…