Wills, Trusts & Estates
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January 16, 2026
SCC’s packed winter session features momentous appeal on Charter s. 33 override provision
The Supreme Court of Canada began hearings in its very busy winter session this week, which features a potentially watershed constitutional appeal and the surprise announcement that Justice Sheila Martin, the court’s senior western judge, will retire next spring.
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January 16, 2026
Ontario Civil Rules Review report calls for binding judicial dispute resolution
In my last article for Law360 Canada, I provided an overview of the Ontario Civil Rules Review (CRR), its Working Group and the Working Group’s final policy report (the Report), which called for, among other things, two reforms to the pre-trial process. That article explored the following reforms:
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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.