Insights

Many Canadians appreciate the benefits and joys of owning a cottage, cabin or chalet (“vacation property”), and wish to pass the ownership and enjoyment to the next generation....

It’s everyone’s nightmare: someone convinces a loved one to hand over the financial reins, invest in a “project” they believe in or help them out in an “emergency” scenario, and by the time they realize something isn’t right,...

If there’s one misunderstood part of the estate planning process, it’s probate – a term most people have likely heard but don’t know much about. And for good reason: Not every Will goes through the probate process....

Most families understand the importance of having a Will – even if many put off creating one – but few ascribe the same weight to drafting a power of attorney (POA)....

Trusts are powerful instruments in tax and estate planning. Broadly speaking, a trust is a relationship between a settlor and a trustee1 in which the trustee holds property transferred by the settlor for the benefit of beneficiaries, specified by the...

1969 was an influential year for many reasons – Woodstock, the first man on the moon, John Lennon’s bed-in for peace – but what no one realized at the time was the most important story was the one about a lovely lady and man named Brady....

In a perfect world, your final wishes would be carried out just as you wish. In Canada, you generally have testamentary freedom, which means you are allowed to distribute your estate in the manner you choose, as stated by your Will. However, there ar...

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. That can-do attitude can get you far in life, but when it comes to estate planning, having a Will is often only a starting point. Without a trusted and reliable executor to distribute your assets in accordance wit...

One way for high net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families to carve out an equal helping of the estate planning pie – and to reduce tension among family members – is with trusts....