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July 31, 2026
The Supreme Court of Canada has unanimously set out the presumptions, procedure and remedies applicable to litigated claims of “spoliation” — i.e., claims against parties who engage in the “intentional destruction, alteration, mutilation, or concealment of evidence with a view to subverting the truth-finding process during litigation.”
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July 31, 2026
The Law Commission of Canada (LCC) has released its annual report, which “highlights the commission’s work and achievements over the past reporting year, providing updates on projects and programs” between April 2025 to March 2026.
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July 31, 2026
Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies, industries and the global competitive landscape at an unprecedented pace. Recognizing both the opportunities and the risks presented by this technological shift, the federal government launched Canada’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: AI for All on June 4, 2026.
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July 30, 2026
In an administrative law landmark that addresses the scope of the Constitution’s guarantee of judicial review, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled 9-0 that legislatures cannot validly use privative clauses to bar “legality review” by courts — i.e., the availability of curial review is constitutionally guaranteed for all aspects of delegated administrative decisions, including on questions of law, fact or mixed law and fact.
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July 30, 2026
In 2009, a mother transfers $150,000 to her eldest son so he can close on his first house. Nothing is signed. She mentions to a neighbour that he will pay her back “when he is on his feet.” She tells the son it is “his share, early.” Meanwhile, her daughter gives up an apartment and a job in another city, moves into the family home and spends 11 years caring for her mother, on the strength of an assurance repeated over many Sunday dinners: the house will be yours. The mother dies in 2024. Her will divides the estate equally among her three children.
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July 29, 2026
Ontario’s top court has ruled that a woman’s interest in a family trust created during an estate freeze was not a gift from a third party after marriage, a finding that led to an $18-million equalization payment to her former husband.
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July 28, 2026
Choosing an executor is one of the most consequential decisions in estate planning. An executor is a fiduciary required to act honestly, impartially, and in the best interests of the estate over their own. Where an executor’s personal obligations, financial interests, or relationships conflict with these duties, these conflicts of interest can lead to family disputes, high legal costs, and can jeopardize proper estate administration.
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July 24, 2026
This is the scenario: John and Jane each purchase a real property in Ontario in 2003, to which they take title in their names alone. John purchases a residential property for $2,000,000 (“John’s property”) and Jane purchases a cottage property for $1,000,000 (“Jane’s property”). In 2006, John and Jane become common law spouses and go back and forth between living at their respective properties — typically John’s during the fall and winter months and Jane’s during the spring and summer months. John and Jane never enter into any domestic agreement. Both were previously married and have children from prior marriages, who are their primary beneficiaries and not each other.
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July 23, 2026
Is it time to acknowledge and address the gap in practical education, practical readiness and practical understanding for the public in family law matters?
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July 17, 2026
In the second part of this two-part series, we will be discussing what irregularities in a will can cause the entire will to be invalid and if a mistake in a will can be detrimental to its validity.