There Is No Constant In Life Except Change – In This Case, Changes to Rules Governing Wills
They say that government moves slowly, but sometimes, when it moves, it REALLY moves! Take the changes to the laws governing wills by the province as set out in Bill 245, Accelerating Access to Justice Act, 2021: First of all, the virtual signing of wills by audio-visual technology (Zoom, Microsoft Teams for example), which was […]
Reflections on the Pride Movement
These are indeed interesting times, and for once, I am not speaking of COVID – but rather the Pride revolution. While the Pride movement has been around for decades, its focus has changed over the years, as society has advanced (or, in some cases retreated). On the side of advancement, I recently watched a series […]
What is “Fair” When Dividing Your Estate?
I find that one of the most difficult topics that arises in estate planning discussions is the concept of ‘fairness’. This is particularly true when parents are trying to figure out how to divide up their estate amongst their children. At first glance, it would seem obvious – all children should benefit equally – that […]
The Family Cottage and Estate Planning
Few issues in estate planning cause a greater gnashing of teeth than trying to deal with the family cottage: cottages can carry with them the best of memories, the strongest of emotional attachments, and the potential for the biggest battles, when it comes to succession planning. Clients often don’t like dealing with their cottages specifically, […]
What Happens to Your Business if You are ‘Removed’?
When we, as entrepreneurs, start a business, our lives are filled with optimism, and it is often that optimism that drives the success of our business venture. Therefore, it may not occur to the optimistic business owner to think about what happens if, through a health crisis, accident, or other event which results in the […]
Do Banks Freeze Your Accounts on Death?
There are many horror stories told by individuals who have been unable to access money in the account of a deceased, even in order to pay bills which were clearly those of the deceased. The fact is that banks will in fact freeze accounts of an account-holder upon learning of the account-holder’s death. This can […]
Two or More Guarantors on a Debt – What Can Go Wrong?
As you will know from a previous blog written by my associate Jason Peyman, a guarantee is a document often requested by a bank, landlord, supplier, or other supplier with whom you may be dealing in the course of your business. Jason has suggested ways in which you can limit the applicability of a personal […]
Who Gets the Grandfather Clock?
Or, as I heard yesterday, the grandmother clock. When you think of preparing a will, you are usually thinking about your money —however much or little money there is, and that, of course, includes the proceeds of the sale of assets such as your house. Your focus tends to be on making sure that the […]
3 Types of Funding for Your Business
Most of us who operate a business need financing from time to time. That financing can be for several reasons. For many of us, upfront cash is needed to fund operations. In a product sale business, cash is needed for inventory, for example. In a services business, salaries and other expenses are due before the […]
