Anna arrived at our law office after the funeral of Jason, her common-law spouse. Anna and Jason lived together for nearly 7 years. Anna cared for Jason during his cancer treatments. She supported Jason and paid the condo fees and mortgage on their condominium. The condominium, however,…
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Marriage no longer automatically revokes Ontario wills as of January 1, 2022. If you are planning your wedding, your estate plan needs to be updated. That includes your beneficiary designations, wills and powers of attorney. Keep reading to learn what else is new. You acquire new legal…
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First off, you are entitled to condolences. Losing a spouse is a devastating event. It shatters your world and turns you upside down. You struggle with your new reality. Everyone is ready to give you advice and you are bombarded with questions. You need experienced legal advice…
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Let me describe what the Kerr v Baranow case means for common-law spouses. Common-law spouses do not get property rights unless they make a claim, or are provided for adequately in an estate plan. Common-law spouses must sue their partners’ estate and make a claim for unjust…
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Did your will give any property or support to your common-law spouse? You can expect lawyers to challenge your estate plan if that amount is inadequate. That’s the point I made during a recent call-in program on Wayne Baxter’s Right On the Money show for Zoomer radio,…
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The old rules for common-law spouses no longer apply for estate planning. You may have not worried about mentioning your common-law spouse in your will. Your lawyer may have told you it was safer not to give your common-law partner anything. You may have even tried to cut your…
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