Wills, Trusts & Estates
-
December 04, 2023
Probate planning and joint ownership, part two
As we discussed in the first article in this two-part series, probate planning is a common topic of discussion between Ontario estate planning lawyers and their clients. There are several often-used strategies that can reduce exposure to probate fees on an individual’s death. That said, the suitability of each strategy must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. This article continues looking at a case that discusses one of these strategies — joint ownership.
-
December 01, 2023
Probate planning and joint ownership, part one
In Ontario, probate planning is a common topic of discussion between estate planning lawyers and their clients. There are several often-used strategies that can reduce exposure to probate fees on an individual’s death. That said, the suitability of each strategy must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
-
December 01, 2023
Power of sale rules in mortgage enforcement industry in Ontario, part three
This is the third instalment of a series on the rise of power of sales properties in Toronto.
-
November 30, 2023
How lawyers, paralegals can complement each other
Lawyers are licensed to provide a full range of legal services. However, certain tasks can be managed with greater cost efficiency through the involvement of skilled paralegals. Law firms that foster such collaboration stand to benefit as their clients gain access to a diverse array of services at affordable rates.
-
November 30, 2023
Power of sale rules in mortgage enforcement industry in Ontario, part two
This is the second instalment of a series on the rise of power of sales properties in Toronto.
-
November 28, 2023
Power of sale rules in mortgage enforcement industry in Ontario
It is the end of the line for homeowners who will experience a power of sale (contractually or statutorily), judicial sale or a foreclosure.
-
November 27, 2023
Court exempts legal advisers from reporting clients’ tax affairs until Charter challenge determined
Legal advisers across Canada, including Quebec notaries and Ontario paralegals, do not have to comply with constitutionally-impugned Income Tax Act (ITA) mandatory reporting obligations with respect to clients’ tax avoidance, following the Federation of Law Societies of Canada’s (FLSC) success in obtaining a nationwide interlocutory court injunction until its Charter challenge to last June’s ITA amendments is determined.
-
November 23, 2023
New notifiable transactions unveiled: Ignore at your peril
Non-tax advisers, particularly corporate/commercial, estates and bankruptcy lawyers, should read this article. Such advisers can easily and unwittingly fall under new notifiable transaction rules requiring them to file an information return with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Financial penalties and other adverse consequences arising on a failure to file the applicable information return can be severe. This includes an adviser being liable for a penalty in excess of their fees (even if a late filing is made).
-
November 23, 2023
ChatGPT shines light on lawyers falling short of genuine value | Jacob Murad
In the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), ChatGPT has emerged as a powerful language model capable of understanding and generating human-like text. While its capabilities are impressive, (I used it to write the opening sentence and title), I don’t believe that it will be replacing legal professionals.
-
November 22, 2023
Law360 Canada Pulse survey shows strong satisfaction among lawyers with their jobs
The Rolling Stones may not have been able to get any satisfaction, but many lawyers in Canada seem not to be singing that particular tune, with a recent survey of the profession showing high marks given for issues like job satisfaction and compensation.