WHAT IT IS: Pre-planning is simply the process of drawing up plans for a funeral/celebration of life, before they are needed. It involves gathering a variety of family information that is required for vital statistics in Ontario. The type of service you want will be discussed; such as where the funeral will take place, who […]
Joint Ownership & the Presumption of Resulting Trust
The transfer of property into joint ownership with an adult child is a common strategy used to avoid estate administration tax. Unfortunately, this estate planning technique can result in family disputes and litigation fees that exceed potential tax savings. The leading case addressing thisarea of law has been cited in over five hundred decisions since […]
Advance Care Planning – Start the Conversation
Many people dread having an Advance Care Planning conversation because they don’t want to think about themselves or their loved one being too ill or injured to speak for themselves or about eventually losing that person. But, Advance Care Planning discussions aren’t just about end-of-life. Anyone, at any time, at any age could find themselves […]
So, You Have Been Asked to Be a Substitute Decision Maker – Now What?
Being a Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) is an important role to play in someone’s life. If a person becomes mentally incapable of making their own health care decisions, either temporarily or permanently, their legal SDM will be called upon to speak for them. No one can be forced to act as an SDM, so it […]
The Family Vacation Home – A Blessing and a Curse
Part 2 of 4 Parts Keeping the family vacation home in the family means a lot emotionally for many families. The family vacation home is often where the best memories of time together are made and somehow becomes as much a part of the building as the walls and the roof. If you have one […]
Leaving a Legacy through Charitable Giving
May is Leave a Legacy Month – a month that focuses on encouraging people to make a “legacy gift” by leaving a gift in their Will (or another planned giving vehicle) to a charity or cause that is meaningful to them. Each year, local charities are privileged to receive legacy gifts. Many, like St. Joseph’s […]
Three Things to Consider in Choosing Your Substitute Decision Maker
Your Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) is the person who will make health care decisions for you if a time comes when you are unable to speak for yourself. Do you know who that person is? Are you sure it’s the right person? In Ontario, a health care provider can only take consent from a person, […]
Navigating the Health Care System
Imagine yourself with one of your parents (or a close family member) in the emergency room of your local hospital. A variety of medical tests are performed over the many hours you wait. Finally, your parent is admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of a fractured arm and low blood pressure which caused the […]
Guilt – Our Often (Inappropriate) Emotional Default
A loved one, (or not so loved one) dies and you may have pangs of guilt, recognizing, too late, that there are things you wish you would have said, or done, or not said, or not done. You are overwhelmed with an emotional (and visceral) response that feels as if it is, now, a permanent burden to […]
The Family Vacation Home – A Blessing and a Curse
Part 1 of 4 parts There is very little property that provokes as great a range of emotional reaction as the inheriting, transfer or sale of the family vacation home, be it summer cottage, ski chalet, or country hideaway. A vacation home is a place we imbue with memories of great vacations, time away from […]
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