Event Notice: On Tuesday, February 11th, 2014 at Brentwood Library, Ed Olkovich will share his expert tips about making a will. For more information, click here: TPL Wills and Estate Planning – Money Matters – Feb 11 2014.
Are you a surviving common law partner? Common law spouses often have to fight to get a share of a deceased’s partner’s property. This is because Ontario does not automatically give cohabiting partners a share of property. Married partners in Ontario have certain automatic rights to share…
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Imagine Kevin, a scruffy-looking fellow walks into your bank on a Monday morning. He tells your bank manger he needs to use your Power of Attorney (POA). He wants to move all your money into his own bank account. He says he needs to do this immediately….
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Once upon a time, Jack and Nicole lived together in Jack’s house. They both worked to pay off Jack’s mortgage. Then they decided to have children. Nicole gave up her job to raise the twins. Jack made a bundle in a computer business, which he sold for…
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What’s the difference between a friend, a family member and a lover? All three have different rights to share in estate property. How can you be affected by these rights? It depends if you are an estate executor, estate beneficiary or surviving common law spouse. Here are…
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Clients wonder how mediation works in estate cases. As an estate lawyer, I use mediation to resolve clients’ estate disputes. Want to learn more about mediation? Read this preliminary letter I sent to Joan (a fictional client) before her mediation. Dear Joan, You will be…
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You may need some good news if you have recently lost your common law spouse in Ontario. If you qualify and need support, laws allow you to apply for dependant’s relief. The hard part is that, like many of my clients, you need to start a legal…
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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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