Wills, Trusts & Estates
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January 28, 2026
A practical way for wills and estates practitioners to start using AI: document review
For many lawyers, including wills and estates practitioners, artificial intelligence (AI) may feel both promising and risky. On the one hand, AI offers the potential to complete comprehensive work more efficiently than ever. On the other hand, using AI for legal tasks may be outside a lawyer’s comfort zone.
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January 28, 2026
Top 10 business decisions of 2025, part one
Here is my annual list of the top 10 business decisions in Canada for the year just ended. This two-part series begins with the cases ranked sixth through tenth, in ascending order. Part two will cover the top five cases.
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January 27, 2026
Estate law: The benefits of a power of appointment
Broadly speaking, a power of appointment is a valuable estate planning tool that is frequently conferred on a person, including an executor, and the trustee and/or beneficiary of a testamentary or inter vivos trust (the “donee”), in relation to the disposition of assets including a trust fund.
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January 27, 2026
Aird & Berlis adds 9 new partners
Nine people have become partners at Aird & Berlis. According to a statement from the firm, they are:
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January 23, 2026
OBA civil litigation award recipients encourage mentorship in the profession
The importance of mentorship and elevating young lawyers was a focal point of the Ontario Bar Association’s (OBA) Civil Dinner, which celebrates excellence in the bar. Both recipients of the OBA awards emphasized the vital position role models play in the profession.
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January 23, 2026
Can all estate administrators access legal advice given the estate?
Estate administration is not always a linear process. In many cases, particularly where the estate is subject to litigation, the original administrator may be replaced before the administration is complete. Courts often appoint litigation administrators or estate trustees during litigation to step into the role temporarily, managing the estate until the litigation is resolved.
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January 22, 2026
What I learned about artificial intelligence in the 1990s
My law firm had a thriving real estate practice in the 1980s. When the real estate market tanked from 1989 until about 1996, they were not happy times. We did not hire any real estate lawyers in those days.
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January 22, 2026
Revocation of joint will not revocation as it pertains to surviving testator: B.C. court
B.C.’s top court has ruled a judge was incorrect when he decided a man had died intestate because a will he wrote with his wife had been revoked before her death.
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January 22, 2026
TRUSTS - Administration - The beneficiary - The settlor - The trustee - Appointment
Appeal by Jim from a judge’s interpretation of clause 3.3 of a trust deed establishing an alter ego trust created by his father, Vines. Vines executed the trust deed in September 2021 and died in August 2022.
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January 21, 2026
Family agreements, part one: Governance of multigenerational family businesses
The lifecycle of an owner-managed business can vary significantly. In some instances, the owner-manager may choose to sell the business or wind it up when they retire. Conversely, the owner-manager may instead choose to transition the business to the next generation, maintaining it as a family enterprise. Where the business is to be transitioned to the next generation, effective succession planning is essential. As part of such succession planning, a family shareholders’ agreement (a “family agreement”) often serves as the “family rule book.”