Wills, Trusts & Estates
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January 15, 2026
The case for in-person appearances, part two
I have taught professionalism for years, starting at the old Bar Admission course, at two law schools and on an ad hoc basis to articling students and juniors. I tell all of them same thing on the first day: everything you need to know about professional responsibility can be summed up in two sentences.
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January 14, 2026
Federal Court approves $100,000 settlements for children of woman killed in boating accident
The Federal Court has approved a settlement under which two minors whose mother died in a boating collision will each receive about $100,000 in damages, resolving claims against the owners and operators of the vessels for loss of guidance, care and companionship, and loss of dependency and services.
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January 13, 2026
Supreme Court of Canada Justice Sheilah Martin to retire in May after eight years at top court
Supreme Court of Canada Justice Sheilah Martin, a former University of Calgary law dean and one of the apex court’s criminal and constitutional law experts, will retire May 30, 2026, after working at the high court for more than eight years.
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January 13, 2026
Top 3 practical details for your will and supporting documents
Hopefully you have started the year in style by signing your will. You’ve chosen a trusted executor, protected your hard-earned assets for your children and provided for the people you care about most.
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January 09, 2026
Thousands of tax dollars spent to determine if deceased’s estate owed over $18K
The Government of Canada offered various forms of financial support for individuals and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. For individuals, the most common were the Canada Emergency Recovery Benefit (CERB) and the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB). CERB was implemented near the beginning of the pandemic, while CRB was initiated later as a longer-term form of support.
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January 09, 2026
PM Carney’s appointment of Judge Hogue as Deputy AG of Canada sparks questions within legal community
Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Marie-Josée Hogue is retiring Feb. 1, 2026, from her full-time job on the federal bench — one day before starting work on Feb. 2 as deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general of Canada, Law360 Canada has learned.
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January 08, 2026
Clark Wilson names 3 new partners
Clark Wilson lawyers Dan W. Melnick, David Bowden and Sunny Chiu have joined the firm’s partnership, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
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January 08, 2026
U.S. estate tax reform: What it means for Canadians
Around this time last year, we wrote an article speculating on what to expect for U.S. estate tax under a second Trump administration. With the decrease to about half the current amount of the lifetime exclusion amount set to occur early this year unless new legislation was passed, it looked like 2025 would need to be a major year for U.S. estate tax reform.
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January 06, 2026
Parlee McLaws names Guy Valle partner
Parlee McLaws LLP has announced that Guy Valle has joined the firm’s partnership, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
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January 06, 2026
Ontario Civil Rules Review working group calls for expansion of mandatory mediation
The Civil Rules Review (CRR) was launched in 2024 as a joint initiative of the chief justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the province’s Attorney General. The CRR’s mandate was to propose wholesale reforms to the Rules of Civil Procedure (the Rules), which were last overhauled in 1985, so that the civil justice system is more accessible and to reduce costs and delays.