Estate disputes are common events. These disputes range from seating arrangements at a funeral home to court cases contesting a will. Are you an executor or, in Ontario, an estate trustee? You must hire lawyers to perform legal work. If you do, are you, as executor, liable…
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Do you jointly own property with someone? A secret severance can steal your survivorship rights to your most valuable asset – your home. Worse, it can force you into a lawsuit. Here is what you need to know. Is your home in joint tenancy with a spouse…
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Do you own real estate with someone as joint tenants? There is a danger you need to know about. You can be pushed into costly lawsuits as the surviving owner and lose your ownership rights. One benefit of joint tenancy is that it gives the last surviving…
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When a person dies without a will, they cannot name an executor. There is no one in charge and the panic starts for your family. They need lawyers to find out what to do. You don’t want that for your grieving relatives. The government has rules that…
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Let’s look at lawsuits between common law spouses over property. In my thirty years of experience, these cases are bitterly contested. I will explain how a lawyer can attack or defend an estate. The Kerr decision gives a template for common law spouses to resolve their property…
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The word joint pops up in all the posts this week. I am sharing stories to explain the word’s different legal meanings. “Joint” now has new importance for domestic partners. Your common law partner has rights to your property if a joint family venture exists. Are you…
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Could you be in a joint family venture? Diane was a common law spouse suffering because of a broken promise. She came into my law office looking for help. She had lived with her common law spouse, Fred, for 14 years. They shared the purchase price of…
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“Estate Sale.” What do you think of when you see these words? An estate sale sign is a symbol of problems you can avoid. You only need to have an effective estate plan. As a lawyer, I see this sign too often. Many times it’s in connection…
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Here are 3 tips to target for your good intentions: #1 Don’t be overly ambitious with your estate planning. You want your goals to be manageable to be successful. Don’t expect everything can be done overnight. How about starting with a will or power of attorney? #2…
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Now you’re ready to set your goals. Here are some 2 X 2 estate planning steps to take: • Set aside 2 hours to do your estate planning homework. (Yes you can do it. Use my book Estate to the Heart. It’s the world’s easiest estate planning…
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