Category Archives: Featured

PREFERENTIAL SHARE OF MARRIED SPOUSE IF YOU DIE WITHOUT A WILL (EVEN IF YOU HAVE BEEN SEPARATED, BUT NOT DIVORCED, FOR MANY YEARS) On intestacy (dying without a Will) where the deceased was married at the time of their death … Continue reading →

IN ONTARIO RETAILS SALES TAX CLEARANCE CERTIFICATES ARE STILL REQUIRED Ontario has had harmonized sales tax (“HST”) since July 1, 2010. Ontario Retail Sales Tax formed a lien against the assets of a business if they were sold unless a … Continue reading →

SPOUSAL TRUSTS CAN BE COMPLICATED, ENSURE YOU SEEK THE ADVICE OF AN ACCOUNTANT AND LAWYER If you have children from a previous marriage, you may want your new spouse to benefit from your estate while they are alive and have … Continue reading →

WATER POTABILITY TESTS ARE CRUCIAL FOR COUNTRY A PURCHASE If the property you are buying is located in the country, it will probably be serviced by a well. A buyer needs to ensure that the water is potable (drinkable). It … Continue reading →

CONCERNS WITH JOINT ASSETS WITH CHILDREN FOR ESTATE PLANNING PURPOSES Clients often ask us to transfer their assets (including their house) so that it is held jointly between them and one or more of their children. Transferring your assets into … Continue reading →

DROPBOX ALLOWS REMOTE ACCESS TO ALL YOUR FILES DropBox is cloud based storage for your computer. With a DropBox account you can save your office files to DropBox and then access those files from home or anywhere else you might happen … Continue reading →

TRUSTS AND THEIR USE IN ESTATE PLANNING Trusts are similar in function to a gift left to someone in a Will, except that Trusts can be set up either within a Will or while the “settlor” (the person creating the … Continue reading →

TO AVOID CLOSING DELAYS, CONSIDER BRIDGE FINANCING It is common for people who are selling a house and buying a replacement home to have both deals close on the same day. This can sometimes result in closing delays. Your sale … Continue reading →

ALL IS NOT LOST WHEN AN ORIGINAL WILL IS LOST Executors and the beneficiaries of an estate may panic when they discover the deceased’s original Will has been lost or destroyed or they just cannot find it. The courts may … Continue reading →

OUTSTANDING CLAIMS AGAINST AN ESTATE If you are acting as an Estate Trustee, you may have to deal with a person who decides they want to make a claim against the estate for money they believed the deceased person owed … Continue reading →