Wills, Trusts & Estates
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November 06, 2023
Feds promote two judges to Ontario Court of Appeal
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Nov. 6 announced the appointment of two judges to the Court of Appeal for Ontario:
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November 06, 2023
Bankruptcies, AI’s use in insolvency process on rise, says Davies report
The first half of 2023 featured the highest number of business bankruptcies in Canada since 2019, with the country’s retail trade sector particularly hard hit by “uncertain global and Canadian financial conditions,” according to a report recently released by the financial restructuring and insolvency group at law firm, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP.
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November 03, 2023
New appointment at Aird & Berlis
Justin Song has joined Aird & Berlis as an associate.
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November 03, 2023
Moreau CJ was on ‘short list’ of only 2 bilingual SCC candidates, despite feds mandating 3-5 names
The “short list” of candidates the independent advisory board on Supreme Court appointments handed the government last month had only two names on it as the advisory board did not identify enough “qualified and functionally bilingual” candidates to discharge the Liberal government’s mandate obliging the board to provide Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with “at least three to five names” of candidates to fill the Western/Northern vacancy for which Alberta Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Mary Moreau was picked.
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November 02, 2023
Ottawa says annual growth plan for immigration to ‘plateau’ in 2026 at 500,000 permanent residents
The federal Liberal government says it is sticking to its ambitious immigration targets for the next three years, unveiling plans to welcome 485,000 new permanent residents to Canada in 2024, 500,000 in 2025, and then “plateau” at 500,000 permanent residents in 2026.
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November 01, 2023
Comprehensive wills and trusts: How they can avoid ambiguity, extra expense
Most of us have heard of the “KISS” principle, which stands for “keep it simple, stupid.” The natural assumption is that simple equals short and sometimes this is true, but not always. When it comes to legal documents such as wills and trusts, the devil is in the details, and litigation to sort out matters is a lengthy, painful and expensive path to get there compared to proper drafting from the outset.
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November 01, 2023
Proposals on electronic wills aim to bring certainty, accessibility to the law: Alberta institute
A legal reform institute is calling for Alberta to allow for the creation of electronic wills, saying it would not only increase certainty for the public on estate planning but also help with access to justice. For centuries, wills have been written on paper, signed with a handwritten signature, and, depending on the type of will, required the physical presence of two witnesses. But Alberta’s Wills and Succession Act (WSA) does not address electronic wills, meaning it neither permits nor prohibits making a will using electronic means.
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October 31, 2023
Ottawa unveils its planned ‘pathway’ to ‘an immigration system for Canada’s future’
The federal Liberal government has unveiled a report featuring what Ottawa calls a “pathway” to an “effective, innovative, and resilient immigration system” that is good for people, communities and businesses.
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October 31, 2023
Canada imposes sanctions on fuel, weapons suppliers, other enablers of Myanmar’s military regime
Responding to the violence and terror Myanmar’s military regime continues to inflict on that country’s people, Canada has imposed sanctions against 39 individuals and 22 entities that are supporters of the regime which toppled Myanmar’s democratically elected government two and a half years ago
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October 27, 2023
SCC rules on duty of contractual loyalty linked to good faith, remedy of disgorgement of profits
In an important Quebec civil law judgment on remedies and contractual obligations of loyalty and good faith, the Supreme Court of Canada has 6-0 dismissed the appeal of two corporate directors who bought three thriving businesses they ran from the controlling shareholders — only to sell them on at a hefty profit — without ever telling the shareholders that the third-party buyer had wanted to acquire their businesses.