Wills, Trusts & Estates
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June 26, 2025
Interpreting class gifts: Impact of will drafting on vesting
Class gifts can be a very effective tool for will-drafters, given the unique advantages that these gifts possess. Ideally suited to giving assets to multiple beneficiaries, one of the perks of class gifts is that they will not lapse if a member of the beneficiary class predeceases the testator. Rather, the gift will simply be distributed among the remaining class members.
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June 26, 2025
FedCt unveils new practice guidelines; cuts oral, written argument in visa, work & study permit JRs
The Federal Court this week “paused” its study permit pilot project and announced that, for judicial reviews of denials of temporary resident visas, study permits and work permits, the default maximum time for hearings will be reduced to 45 minutes and the default maximum written submissions will be limited to 20 pages, starting Sept. 2.
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June 25, 2025
Deaths from illegal drug supply fell 17% in 2024; thousands who died were men, many in their 30s
There were more than 7,000 opioid-related drug toxicity deaths in Canada last year — 20 people per day — an overdose crisis primarily driven by a toxic illegal drug supply, according to the latest data reported by the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health and the Chief Coroners and Chief Medical Examiners.
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June 25, 2025
Substantial estate law compliance in Ontario: The sequel
I once wrote about Ontario’s topical “validating” provision — s. 21.1 of the Succession Law Reform Act (SLRA) — and whether it might risk “emboldening those seeking self-help remedies.” That was in November 2023. More than a year later, the case law has continued to evolve on this provision, and I feel there is wisdom in revisiting it.
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June 24, 2025
Have your voice heard: Take Law360 Canada’s 2025 survey on lawyer satisfaction
Law360 Canada is seeking participants for an anonymous survey on career and life satisfaction in the legal profession. Take the survey in English or French.
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June 20, 2025
OBA awards gala celebrates service to the legal profession and community at large
Toronto lawyer Angela Ogang had a good excuse not to attend the Ontario Bar Association’s annual awards gala June 19: She’d given birth to her baby the night before.
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June 20, 2025
Estate planning’s silent threat: The unpapered file
On June 5, 2025, I spoke as a panellist at the Ontario Bar Association’s webcast, “From Retainer to Reporting Letter: Avoiding Professional Liability and Negligence Claims in Estates Law.” The program included a case law update, a presentation by LAWPRO on the most common claims against lawyers in the area of wills and estates, and a lively discussion among the panellists about common pitfalls faced by lawyers practising in this area.
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June 19, 2025
FCA sets aside decision that declared Ottawa must fill judicial vacancies ‘within a reasonable time’
A novel Federal Court action that tried to compel Ottawa to fix its chronic tardiness in filling superior court vacancies has been dismissed for lack of jurisdiction by the Federal Court of Appeal; however, the law firm that launched the case to help its clients and other litigants says its efforts were not in vain.
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June 19, 2025
Three new lawyers join McDougall Gauley
McDougall Gauley LLP has announced that Manahil Arshad, Tanner Secord and Dathan Thomas have joined the firm as associates at its Saskatoon office.
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June 17, 2025
Canada ramps up sanctions against Russia for Putin regime’s ‘continued aggression’ against Ukraine
Canada announced new sanctions against Russia as leaders of the G7 Western countries met for a second day in Kananaskis, Alta.