Wills, Trusts & Estates
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June 13, 2024
New asset freezes, entry bans & export prohibitions target Russian war of aggression against Ukraine
Canada has aimed new sanctions and export prohibitions at participants in Russia’s military-industrial complex, in a co-ordinated move with other countries on the first day of the G7’s three-day summit in Italy.
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June 13, 2024
Liberal government unveils in Commons ‘2030 Nature Strategy’ and proposed Nature Accountability Act
The minority Liberal government’s newly proposed Nature Accountability Act would hold Ottawa “accountable to make progress” (but not via an enforceable legal mechanism) toward the goal of protecting at least 30 per cent of Canada’s lands and waters by 2030, says federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault.
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June 13, 2024
Business income within a TFSA is taxable, confirms Federal Court of Appeal
The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal of tax reassessments where the appellant argued that a tax-free savings account (TFSA) trust for a business should be tax-exempt because that is the case for a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP).
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June 13, 2024
Federal government announces expansion of early retirement eligibility for some front-line workers
Ottawa has announced plans to introduce legislative changes this fall to expand early pension eligibility for specific front-line workers, including federal border services officers and federal and territorial firefighters.
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June 13, 2024
Wealth advising for the future: The new paradigm
I am an estate lawyer. As such, how many times have I said under my breath as my clients have exited the boardroom after an often lengthy, revealing, intense and always interesting meeting: “I don’t need a law degree — I need a psychology degree!”
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June 13, 2024
The Leviathan must be stopped | Trevor R. Parry
The Leviathan was a biblical sea monster that devoured all. Christian theologians associated it with the sin of envy, and the English political philosopher Thomas Hobbes used the name for the title of his seminal work. Hobbes argued that a social contract where the individual surrenders personal liberty to an absolute sovereign in return for security is better than chaos. It seems the Trudeau government has decided Canada should be home to this beast.
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June 12, 2024
Saskatchewan regulator details strategic plan progress for 2023
Saskatchewan’s law society made strides last year in rolling out parts of its current Strategic Plan — particularly in promoting diversity and equality, ensuring the competence of new lawyers and increasing access to justice for the incarcerated.
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June 12, 2024
Life insurance proceeds and dependent support obligations
In my May 31, 2024 article, “Enforcing support obligations in separation agreements and court orders against an estate,” I discussed some of the legislative mechanisms dependants can use to obtain and enforce support orders. Once an order for support has been made, what assets belonging to the payor can be charged to satisfy the order? Specifically, can the proceeds of a life insurance policy held by the payor be used to fund the support ordered by the court?
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June 11, 2024
Ex-Chief Justice of Canada says judges of Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal remain independent
In the wake of Beijing’s escalating crackdown on independent voices and institutions in Hong Kong since China enacted and expanded a sweeping “national security law,” Hong Kong’s top court is still independent, retired Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin said as she announced her planned departure next month from the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
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June 11, 2024
Clutter: How to remove it and organize your affairs
Whether it is technological challenges, including accessing the information we need through a portal when it used to come automatically through snail mail, new legislation and increasing tax compliance or keeping our estate planning up to date, many of us feel overwhelmed when it comes to keeping our financial affairs up to date and in order.