Wills, Trusts & Estates
-
March 18, 2026
The mask of professionalism: Stress of maintaining the ‘good lawyer’ image
In the first part of this two-part series (see link below), I wrote that in addition to actual legal work, most lawyers are also expected to act, speak and dress in certain ways. This added layer of effort can feel like a performance. It requires constantly monitoring yourself to maintain the image of a “good lawyer,” and it is exhausting. Here, I turn to what can be done to reduce the stress associated with all this extra labour.
-
March 18, 2026
Distinct, complementary roles of section 3 counsel and litigation guardians in Ontario capacity proceedings
When a party is incapable of instructing counsel, or their capacity is in question in a proceeding, two distinct safeguards exist under Ontario law to protect that party’s interests.
-
March 11, 2026
The billable hour is running out of time
Early in my career, I noticed a pattern I could not ignore. I would build rapport with clients, earn their trust and then watch everything fall apart the moment the invoice was sent. They were not upset with me personally, even though sometimes it felt that way. They were blindsided by a system that charged them in a way they found unfair. Even worse, I would get penalized if I found strategies to be fast and efficient to make it more fair.
-
March 10, 2026
Courtney Yaremchuk joins MLT Aikins in Edmonton
MLT Aikins has welcomed Courtney Yaremchuk as an associate lawyer in the firm’s Edmonton office.
-
March 10, 2026
How a referral source can invalidate a will
In Anroop v. Naqvi, 2026 ONCA 142, the Court of Appeal overturned the Application Judge, Justice Cory Gilmore’s decision Anroop et al. v. Naqvi et al., 2025 ONSC 160, and declared the fourth invalid largely due to the drafting lawyer’s “conflict of interest.”
-
March 09, 2026
Ontario Appeal Court unpacks conflict of interest in drafting wills
Lawyers drafting wills for others must be diligent in avoiding conflicts of interest, says a lawyer acting in a case in which last wishes were deemed invalid due to evidence of a “suspicious circumstance.”
-
March 06, 2026
Exclusion of refugee claimants from subsidized childcare violates women’s Charter s. 15 rights: SCC
In a Charter s. 15(1) equality rights milestone, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Quebec’s exclusion of refugee claimants from eligibility for subsidized childcare in the province unconstitutionally discriminates against women based on their sex.
-
March 05, 2026
I’m on dad’s bank account: Do I get the money when he dies?
The above headline is a bit of a loaded question. The short answer is: it depends. If you’re interested in the long answer, keep reading.
-
March 04, 2026
Failure of ongoing duties results in lawyer being removed
The removal of a party’s counsel of choice during litigation is a remedy granted only in exceptional circumstances. In some cases, an order removing counsel is issued because of a conflict of interest that has arisen with their own client or another party in the litigation, or because the lawyer or another member of their firm will be a material witness at trial.
-
March 03, 2026
Ontario law society mandates Indigenous cultural competency course
Law Society of Ontario (LSO) benchers have narrowly approved a mandatory Indigenous cultural competency course for all lawyers and paralegals, despite concerns it could lead to a repeat of the statement of principles drama that engulfed the law society several years ago.