Toronto Estate Law Blog : Toronto Estate Lawyer : Hull & Hull Law Firm : Trust Mediation and Succession Planning : Serving Ontario, Ottawa, Mississauga, Hamilton

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It’s Hallow’s Eve – there will be candy all round tonight. Well, all weekend if we’re lucky.

And, fittingly, just in time for the sweet sound of “trick or treat” Mars, Inc. completed its purchase of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company earlier this month; the $23 billion transaction was initiated earlier this year by Mars. Two wealthy family dynasties reached a deal to secure for each giant a greater piece of the world’s confectionary market.  

The privately-held Mars with its headquarters in Virginia controls information very tightly; three grandchildren of Franklin Mars apparently live on a vast ranch in Wyoming. 

In 2002, after his father’s death in 1999, issues arose about Bill Wrigley Jr.’s right to vote the company shares held in a trust set up by his grandparents three decades earlier. The trusts sheltered nearly $3.2 billion, which was particularly important for him given his pending divorce. Presumably, shares held in trust are not part of the family assets to be divided at the time of divorce. The claimant insisted that the votes attached to the shares in trust were to be shared by other beneficiaries. The recent transaction seems to have smoothed over some family differences.

In Ontario, recently, Frye v. Frye Estate, 2008 ONCA 606 (CanLII) emerged with less fanfare but it is significant nonetheless. The Court of Appeal addressed the tension between a shareholders’ agreement and the rights of a beneficiary who received shares under a Will from a signatory of the agreement.  The Justices seem to have neatly balanced competing estate and corporate principles.

Have a good night.  Boo.

Jonathan

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The business pages, especially in this uncertain economy, can be interesting.  Recently I gravitate toward Paul Waldie's column in the Globe & Mail.  Frequently, he identifies the gifts, causes and reasons provided by individuals whose donations range from under $100,000 to a million dollars or more. It's a spot of good news in this economic downturn.

We have covered legacies from several angles at Hull & Hull; there are 25 hits when "legacy" is searched on the Blogs and Podcasts section of our website.  The law dictionary defines legacy as "A gift by will, esp. of personal property and often of money;  a bequest."

Individuals can leave a legacy in their respective Wills, but as the Globe & Mail column highlights, people who have the means enjoy the satisfaction of leaving a legacy during their lifetime. Stories abound, as www.leavealegacy.ca illustrates.  There are as many reasons to leave a legacy as there are donors.

The principle of leaving a successful legacy applies to many realms, including the family business.  In some instances, it is advisable to not leave the kids the family business.  Rick Spence, of Moneysense, suggests passing on values, rather than gifting the family business.  Certainly we are not all in the position of "firing the kids", but there may be many good reasons to do now what you would otherwise do in your Will. 

Jonathan

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The cooler weather is cause for many people, retirees especially, to plan an annual sojourn south.

In preparing for the winter, protecting real property -- often a significant asset -- may be top of mind.

My colleague, Paul Trudelle, wrote about "Real Estate Transactions Involving Powers of Attorney" in July 2008.  While travelling south for the winter does not require a sale, steps can be taken to minimize risks to real property.  The Government of Ontario suggests that to avoid real estate fraud one should protect his or her identity and be alert to identity theft.

Regarding a Power of Attorney, the government also suggests caution:  "Whenever you give another person a power of attorney that permits them to deal with your personal assets, you should consult with your lawyers or advisers regarding appropriate limitations."

In a 2004 Canadian Bar Association paper -- Cross-Border Issues for Snowbirds and Roaming Retirees - Marilyn Piccini Roy wrote: "If the Snowbird owns real estate elsewhere, this power of attorney may not be recognized there if the law of the situs applies its own law to the formal or substantive validity of the power of attorney or to its effectiveness vis-à-vis third parties."   If a Power of Attorney deals with assets in different jurisdictions, one should seek legal advice in the jurisdiction of the asset(s).

Recent Ontario case law highlights issues that can arise regarding real estate when a fraudulent Power of Attorney is used.  Reviczky v. Meleknia; Caplan (Intervenor) 2007 Canlii 56494 (On. S.C.) raises quesitons about a solicitor's duty to"go behind" a Power of Attorney by enquiring about the donor's mental capacity at the time of signing and later, as well as evidentiary requirements.  The recent case law reminds all of us, including snowbirds, of the risks that exist with a Power of Attorney.  

Jonathan Morse 

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As a WWII pay officer in the Canadian military, my paternal grandfather met a British woman on the beach when he was stationed in the south of England. They married soon after the War and retired in England in the mid-1960s.  My grandfather died in the early 1990s; when my step-grandmother, Tessa, died in 2008, in her Will she left her house to my father and aunt.

If there were no Will, Tessa's estate could have contributed to the British government's coffers.  In that circumstance, a probate research firm could have played a role. 

Title Research is one of the firms highlighted in yesterdays blog about "heir hunters".  Its services include: searches for missing beneficiaries, heirs, and legal documents (such as marriage, birth and death certificates back to the 1800s); asset research to value, verify and find missing or unknown assets; missing beneficiary indemnity insurance; probate valuations; and will searches to determine that the Will is the deceased's last will. 

If Tessa had died intestate, Title Research, and other firms, could have located her heirs around the world.  Alternatively, if the estate trustee had questions about the value of the estate assets, or had the trustee not known the whereabouts of the beneficiaries, it could have enlisted a search firm's services as some anecdotes suggest.

Potentially trustees can protect their personal liability by engaging a firm that has a best practices endorsement of Britain's Law Society.  It seems that an estate need not just have ties to the UK, but the extent of a firm's expertise in a specific jurisdiction would have to be assessed.

Interestingly, some of the detective work can be done by amateur sleuths: www.findmypast.com and www.ancestry.co.uk allow access to census data from the 1800s and a host of other historical information.  If genealogy is in your blood, it's a place to start.  And, as one UK law firm suggests, it might be advisable to do some of your own investigating.

Jonathan Morse

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Listen to The Law as it Affects Older Adults

This week on Hull on Estates, Ian Hull and Suzana Popovic-Montag discuss a recent consultation paper from the Law Commission of Ontario(LCO) titled: The Law as it Affects Older Adults. The LCO has initiated a project to develop a legal framework for the law as it affects older persons and will be essential in addressing the needs and experiences of this group.

Feel free to send us an email at hull.lawyers@gmail.com or leave us a comment on the Hull on Estates blog.

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Listen to Will Challenge Litigation - Part 11

This week on Hull on Estate and Succession Planning, Ian and Suzana talk about the differences between quantum meruit and propriety estoppel. As with any add-on claims, the courts require solid corroboration. They also discuss claims of resulting trust and claims of constructive trust.

If you have any comments, send us an email at hullandhull@gmail.com or leave a comment on our blog.

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In Scotland for my honeymoon, I encountered a few different “estates”. Hiking the West Highland Way – averaging about 12 miles a day – we passed Blackmount Lodge, in the Bridge of Orchy. The lodge, owned by the Fleming family (of James Bond fame) sits on the edge of an idyllic loch. It took a day to walk across the estate.

Fellow walkers from Britain were interested to learn that I work in estate litigation. After sorting out differences in our terminology, they asked if “heir hunters” exist in Canada. I was intrigued.

While I still do not know the extent of “heir hunting” here, I learned that Heir Hunters is a BBC series that follows probate detectives who look for distant relatives of people who have died without making a will. I have not heard of a similar program in North America.

Several UK firms track down missing relatives: Fraser and Fraser  and Title Research are two examples. About 545,000 people die in Britain every year and half of them do not have a will. As in Ontario, there are rules in Britain which dictate that when people die intestate, their estate passes to the deceased’s legal next of kin. In Britain, if there is no family, the estate falls to the Crown.  The Guardian claims that £10 million to £20 million falls to the government every year because there is no one to claim the estate. Heir hunters locate the next of kin and alert them to their inheritance; there is a finder’s fee of up to 25% of the amount.

Many people in Canada can trace their roots to the United Kingdom. Estate practitioners, if advising estate trustees, would be well served to keep “heir hunting” firms in mind. 

Thank you for reading.  Enjoy your day.

Jonathan Morse

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I recently read an article regarding the most common claims against lawyers, which is authored by Dan Pinnington who is the director of practicePro, LawPro’s risk and practice management program (click here for the article). I found it particularly interesting that only a small portion of LawPro claims account for a lawyer’s inability to know or apply the substantive law.    

The most common claim involves communication between lawyer and client. Dan breaks down the type of communication errors into three categories. According to the article, the most common communication related error, is the failure to follow the client’s instructions.  The second type of communication error is the lawyer doing work or taking steps on a matter, but failing to obtain the client’s consent or to inform the client. The third type of communication error involves the failure to explain to the client simple administrative things (i.e. timing of steps on the matter, fees and disbursement). Dan states that you can reduce your exposure to this type of claim by managing your client’s expectations from the very start of the matter and actively communicating with the client at all stages of the matter. 

The second most common claim is missed deadlines and time management related errors. The most common time-related error is a failure to know or to ascertain a deadline (i.e. limitation period). There is a concern that procrastination-related errors are on an upwards trend. Dan states that these types of errors are easily preventable with better time management skills and the proper use of tickler systems.

The third most common error is the inadequate investigation or discovery of facts.   To avoid these types of claims lawyers have to “dig deeper”, take the time to read between the lines so that all of the appropriate issues and concerns associated with the subject matter can be identified. 

I hope my final blog will assist all of us in our practise. 

Rick Bickhram   

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I have learned that only a small percentage of applications for certificate of appointment of an estate trustee, filed in Toronto, are approved without being sent back for correction.  

Some common problems associated with these types of applications are, incorrect or inconsistent references to the deceased's name, problems concerning the mailing of the application to beneficiaries who have an interest in the subject estate, incorrect calculations of estate administration tax and in cases involving holographic wills, a missing affidavit attesting to the handwriting of the deceased.  Needless to mention, most of these errors can be avoided if the application is carefully reviewed.

But what happens if the deceased's name is spelled incorrectly in the Will?  If there is an error in the deceased's name in the Will, the heading on all of the documents should reflect the correct name, followed by a statement stating "incorrectly referred to in the Will as (insert the name is it appears in the Will).  It is also important to remember, that the names of beneficiaries shown in the notice of application must be identical to the way in which their names appear in the Will.  

Thanks for reading,

Rick Bickhram

 

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Upon the death of a person, a duty arises to bury or otherwise dispose of the remains in a decent and dignified fashion.  But who does this duty fall upon?  

It is well established in the jurisprudence for Ontario that plans for the service and burial arrangements are the responsibility of the estate trustee.  This responsibility can conflict with the wishes and expectations of the deceased and family members, particularly in a religious context.

In Saleh v. Reichert, the deceased was of the Muslim faith.  Her husband had converted to the Muslim faith for the purpose of there marriage.  There was evidence indicating that the deceased expressed her wish to be cremated upon her death.  The deceased's husband was appointed as the estate trustee without a will and intended to honour the deceased's wishes.  The deceased's father objected to the cremation on religious grounds.

The court affirmed the fundamental duty of an estate trustee is to ensure that the remains of a body be disposed of in a decent and dignified fashion.  The court held that religious law has no bearing on the case.   In Ontario, burial and cremation are both means that would meet the requirement for disposal in a decent and dignified fashion.  The deceased's father's action was dismissed.  

It is important to note that it was acknowledged that there is no property in a body.  Therefore, any instructions left by the deceased, whether in a Will or otherwise are only precatory and are not binding on the estate trustee.

Rick Bickhram

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Listen to:

The Interrelationship Between a Guardian of Property and a Trustee Under a Testamentary Trust

This week on Hull on Estates, Rick Bickhram and David M. Smith discuss the complications that can arise when an incapable person is both the subject of a guardianship order and the beneficiary of a testamentary trust.

Comments? Send us an email at hull.lawyers@gmail.com, call us on the comment line at 206-350-6636, or leave us a comment on the Hull on Estates blog.

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I recently attended a breakfast seminar hosted by Hull & Hull LLP, where I listened to my colleague, Natalia Angelini, speak about a testator's capacity to give instructions for the preparation of a Will.   
 
During Natalia's discussion, she spoke about the varying levels of capacity for different transactions.  Natalia also touched on the traditional grounds that a Will could be challenged.   I was particularly intrigued to learn that the circumstances surrounding the failure of a testator to make a will could be advanced as forming the basis for a will challenge.  

One of the traditional grounds for a will challenge is undue influence.  At its very basic form, undue influence occurs as a result of pressure brought to bear on the testator in giving instructions and executing the testamentary document.  The pressure brought on the testator, must be of such a degree that the testator has reached the point of thinking, "It is not my wish, but I must do it".

In contrast, "reverse" undue influence (as it has been called) occurs where a testator is being prevented from signing a Will.

As this interesting topic continues to evolve, I am confident that the estate & trust bar will be looking on with interest.

Rick Bickhram

 

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Listen to Will Challenge Litigation - Part 10

This week on Hull on Estates, Ian and Suzana discuss extraneous claims that can arise during a will challenge. In particular, they talk about propriety estoppel and other situations where someone worked to their detriment in the context of an estate dispute. For these kinds of claims, you require solid corroboration. Next week, Ian and Suzana will address the differences between quantum meruit and proprietary estoppel.

If you have any comments, send us an email at hullandhull@gmail.com or call us on the comment line at 206-457-1985 or leave a comment on our blog.

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You may remember that my colleague, Chris Graham, blogged on the death of the actor, Heath Ledger and the pending litigation involving his estate (Link to Chris Graham's Blog).    

It has been well reported that Ledger last made a Will in 2003, before the birth of his daughter Matilda (in 2005) and before his claim to fame.  Under the 2003 Will, Ledger left all of his possessions to his parents and sister.  He subsequently stared in several hit films which vastly increased the size of his net value.  Subsequent to his passing, the question that was considered was what would happen to Matilda, as she was not provided for in the 2003 Will?   

There had been discussion that Matilda's mother would likely commence a claim on Ledger's estate, which could have tied up the Estate in litigation for years. However, now it is widely reported that Ledger's entire estate will all go to two year old Matilda (click here for the report).  

Estate planning is like doing our taxes.  No one wants to do them, but Ledger's story teaches us an important lesson.  It reminds us of the uncertainty of death and the consequential need to ensure that our estate plans are updated to protect those that we care for.  

Rick Bickhram

 

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Today’s blog is the last in my series this week on the variation of a trust under the Variation of Trusts Act and touches upon the Application material to be brought in respect of the variation.

The Application seeking approval of the variation is usually brought by one or more of the capacitated beneficiaries. The respondents are typically all of the beneficiaries who are not named as the applicant(s) and the trustee (unless the trustee is the, or one of the, Applicant(s)). As a trustee is to act impartially toward the beneficiaries, it may not be appropriate for the trustee to bring the Application depending on the circumstances.
 

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Today’s blog is a continuation of my blogs this week on the variation of a trust under the Variation of Trusts Act and will focus on the Deed of Arrangement. 

The approach to, and content of, the Deed of Arrangement will most certainly depend on the circumstances involved. The approach to the Deed of Arrangement may be quite different if the variation arises as a result of an ongoing proceeding (and has been negotiated as part of that proceeding conditional on Court approval) than if it does not.
 

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In yesterday’s blog on the procedure typically involved with a variation of a trust proceeding under the Variation of Trusts Act, I mentioned that today I would touch upon the need to appoint a litigation guardian for a minor, unascertained, unborn and/or for an incapable party in such a proceeding. 

Rule 7 of the Rules of Civil Procedure regulates the bringing of proceedings by or against parties under disability.  As set out in the commentary to the Rule, “its central requirement is that persons under disability must be represented by a litigation guardian…Rule 7.02 creates a presumptive right for a mentally incapable person’s guardian or attorney under power of attorney to act as litigation guardian, so long as the guardian or attorney has the authority to act by the terms of his or her appointment as guardian or attorney.”  

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I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving weekend.

In a recent blog of mine (“To vary a Trust or not to vary a Trust: Does a Statute have the Answer?”), I touched upon the Variation of Trusts Act (R.S.O. 1990, c. V.1) as the authority to vary a trust.In today’s blog and several more this week, I will comment on the procedure and documents typically involved with a variation of trust.

Having decided that a variation is necessary, the trust document should be carefully reviewed to ensure that all terms of the trust are properly understood, and to identify all of the persons having an interest or potential interest (actual and potential beneficiaries) in the trust, to consider those that need to sign the proposed arrangement (which sets out the variation proposed), to consider who will require representation before the Court and those that will be affected by the variation.

The procedure for such a variation consists of the preparation of and signature of a Deed of Arrangement (or agreement setting out the variation that the Court is requested to approve), and an Application to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (to be heard before a single Judge) seeking a Judgment approving the Deed of Arrangement on behalf of the minor, unborn, unascertained, incapable or contingent beneficiary.

The Application materials, in turn, consist of a Notice of Application and affidavit material supporting the variation. A factum will also be required unless leave is sought further to Rule 38.09(4) of the Rules of Civil Procedure dispensing with the necessity of the factum. A draft Judgment should also be submitted when the materials are served and filed.

A Consent to the Application signed by all of the capacitated beneficiaries is best included as part of the Application material.   A letter/document from the Children’s Lawyer/Public Guardian and Trustee indicating their position (ie. that they do not object on behalf of their respective interest) is also typically a part of the Application materials, unless the Children’s Lawyer/Public Guardian and Trustee are attending in Court at the Application before the Judge.

In tomorrow’s blog, I will take a look at the appointment of the litigation guardian for the minor, unborn, unascertained or incapable beneficiary of the trust for the purposes of a variation of trust.

Thanks for reading. Craig

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Listen to Testamentary Capacity Issues

This week on Hull on Estates, Paul Trudelle and Natalia Angelini discuss testamentary capacity issues as they arise in estate matters. Wills require the highest level of capacity and testators need to demonstrate that they are of a sound and disposing mind.

Comments? Send us an email at hull.lawyers@gmail.com, call us on the comment line at 206-350-6636, or leave us a comment on the Hull on Estates blog.

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Listen to Will Challenge Litigation - Part 9

This week on Hull on Estates, Ian and Suzana discuss other claims that can be made concurrent to a classic will challenge. In particular, they talk about quantum meruit claims and how these can be interpreted differently depending on the situation.

If you have any comments, send us an email at hullandhull@gmail.com or call us on the comment line at 206-457-1985 or leave a comment on our blog.

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As it is the Friday before a long weekend, I thought a more light-hearted blog would be in order. 

What is the origin of Canadian Thanksgiving? Like so much in Canada, we borrowed the tradition from our American cousins in the mid 1800s. However, at the time, Protestant church leaders in Ontario wanted to set the right moralistic tone when it came giving thanks for the harvest. As such, Thanksgiving started off as a decidedly religious, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant, pro-British and anti-American affair. Catholics were certainly not welcome nor were visible or religious minorities. The first national Thanksgiving was held in 1859 on a Thursday. Over time, the Protestant churches lost control of the holiday and it became more secular and less exclusive. Parliament eventually declared that Thanksgiving should fall on the second Monday of October partly due to pressure from transport companies who hoped that a holiday on a Monday would increase holiday traffic. 

Canadian Thanksgiving therefore had nothing to do with harvesting of crops or the arrival of fall colours. But Canadian Thanksgiving is nevertheless typically Canadian: it sprang from a parochial and prejudiced mindset heavily influenced by the politics and values of the day not to mention the colossus to the south. The world of commerce also had a say and got its way when it came to a fixed date. However, as Canada grew and matured as a country, Thanksgiving become more widespread and inclusive. Today, Thanksgiving is a time for all Canadians to give thanks for the bounty of the land and the freedoms we enjoy.  Vive le Canada and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanks for reading my blogs this week. 

Justin

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Pursuant to Section 3 of the Substitute Decision Act, the court may direct the PGT to arrange for legal representation for a person whose capacity is in issue in a proceeding under the SDA. The SDA further states that the person so represented shall be deemed to have capacity to retain and instruct counsel. However, section 3 counsel’s position and role remains somewhat murky. In Banton v. Banton, the court considered the import of an incapable person being deemed capable to retain and instruct counsel. 

The court recognized that the position of section 3 counsel is “potentially one of considerable difficulty”. However, the court did not believe that section 3 counsel was in the position of a litigation guardian with authority to make decisions in the incapable person’s interest. According to the court, counsel must take instructions from his/her client and “must not act if satisfied that capacity to give instructions is lacking”. A very high degree of professionalism may be required in borderline cases where it is possible the incapable person’s wishes may be in conflict with his/her best interests and counsel’s duty to the court. The phrase offers precious little guidance to section 3 counsel, but does sound a cautionary note. In the circumstances, perhaps the best advice is for section 3 counsel to fully explain the situation to the court and ask the court’s advice and direction. 

Finally, as an aside, the Ontario Government has now introduced legislation that would allow people to apologize with impunity. In other words, an apology will not be held against you in court. The hope is that “The Apology Act” will go a long way to defusing a contentious situation before litigation results. Sorry may, in fact, go a long way.

As always, thanks for reading.

Justin

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Pursuant to section 79 of the Substitute Decisions Act, the court has discretion to order a capacity assessment of an individual if the person’s capacity is an issue in a proceeding under the SDA. The court must also be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person is incapable. 

Where a capacity assessment has already been obtained, the court will be reluctant to order a further capacity assessment of an individual, unless the court has, for example, concerns about the lack of detail or objectivity within the assessment that has already been obtained. 

In Forgione v. Forgione, the court was concerned about the adequacy of the assessment carried out by a medical doctor. The court did not know what background information the doctor had or what, if any, influence anyone other than one family member may have had on the process. The report was very brief and consisted largely of conclusions without analysis. There were a number of facts and conflicting versions of facts which, in the court’s view, warranted further examination because they raised questions about the capacity and vulnerability of the incapable. A second assessment was ordered.

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Listen to Piszczek v. Zurawska

This week on Hull on Estates, Christopher Graham and Paul Trudelle discuss the recent decision in the case of Piszczek v. Zurawska that demonstrates the application of a resulting trust of joint accounts.

Comments? Send us an email at hull.lawyers@gmail.com, call us on the comment line at 206-350-6636, or leave us a comment on the Hull on Estates blog.

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Listen to Will Challenge Litigation - Part 8

This week on Hull on Estates, Ian and Suzana discuss corporate issues and implications during a will challenge. Issues of testamentary capacity and undue influence can become extremely complex questions to investigate in a corporate inquiry.

If you have any comments, send us an email at hullandhull@gmail.com or call us on the comment line at 206-457-1985 or leave a comment on our blog.

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I recently blogged on the lasting legacy of Cecil Rhodes. Along the same lines, the life of Alfred Nobel is worth considering.

Like most “great men”, Nobel was a bundle of contradictions. He was a successful Swedish business who is best remembered for inventing dynamite. However, he was a committed pacifist who wrote plays and novels - none of which are particularly remarkable. It was the world’s good fortune that a newspaper mistakenly printed Nobel’s obituary calling him the “merchant of death”. Nobel was horrified and turned his mind to creating a lasting legacy of peace. When he died in 1896, 94 percent of his substantial fortune went to fund an award for those whose work “conferred the greatest benefit to mankind” in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peacemaking. In 1969, economics was added as a separate category. 

Not surprisingly, Nobel’s relatives were not happy. The vague wording of his will gave them the opportunity to tie up Nobel’s estate for years in the Swedish courts. However, on the fifth anniversary of his death, the first Nobel Prizes were presented by the King of Sweden. At the time, the monetary award that accompanied the Nobel Prizes was a vast sum ($42,000). The prize is now worth close to a million dollars today. Nobel laureates are highly regarded and many are household names. It is no exaggeration to boast that the Nobel Prize is the most prestigious award in the world and a lasting legacy from the man who invented dynamite.

Justin

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Welcome to my week of blogs.

The Substitute Decisions Act is silent when it comes to the issue of compensation for personal care guardians. Section 40 of the SDA addresses compensation for property guardians, but there is no corresponding provision for personal care guardians (though regard can be had to section 68(4) of the SDA). 

I was recently before Brown, J. in Toronto Estates Court in respect of a request for compensation by a personal care guardian (the decision is not yet reported). The property guardian, who I represented, supported the request for compensation, but the PGT questioned the amount requested and wondered whatever happened to “natural love and affection”.

In coming to his decision, Brown, J. applied the analysis set out in Cheney v. Bryrne, which he found was applicable to claims for compensation by personal care guardians. Brown, J. also applied, by analogy, the approach applied by the court to claims for compensation by property guardians. The test regarding the reasonableness of compensation claims was set out in Re: Brown (1999), 31 E.T.R. (2d) 164 (link not available). 

According to Brown, J., the evidence before him clearly demonstrated that the incapable needed the services provided by the personal care guardian. He was also satisfied that the personal care guardian was providing the services to the incapable with care and devotion and that her services were of a high quality and went well beyond what was ordinarily expected. Moreover, the incapable obviously could afford to pay for the services (not an insignificant factor). In considering the level of compensation, Brown, J. was satisfied that the amount claimed was reasonable and in the best interests of the incapable. He therefore approved the compensation claimed.

Thanks for reading. 

Justin

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The focus on Canada’s aging population, and the special needs of seniors, is becoming recognized in legal circles as a growing practice specialty: elder law. Elder law lawyers have a multi-disciplinary and multi-faceted practice that ranges from estates, to health law, to real estate. For example, an elder law lawyer may advise on “private care agreements” (where a child may provide care in exchange for equity in valuable real estate owned by a parent) or the benefits of long-term health insurance. 

As part of my own practice, I regularly advise elderly clients in all aspect of estate and trust litigation. Advising elderly clients requires specific knowledge about the various issues facing seniors. Such issues include elder abuse and exploitation, mental capacity and consent, and substitute decision making (whether by court-appointed guardianship or powers of attorney). 

There are various resources available for those looking to educate themselves on elder law issues. The fourth annual Canadian Conference on Elder Law will be held this year on November 13-15, 2008 in Vancouver. The conference will focus on such issues as capacity, support, public/private guardianship and law reform. For more information on the conference and for other information on elder law issues, see the Canadian Centre for Elder Law’s website at www.ccels.ca.

Have a great day!

Bianca La Neve

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 A recent decision from British Columbia, Desbiens v. Bernacki, 2008 BCSC 696 is a good reminder that a limitation period is a shield, not a sword. 

In Desbiens, the deceased had four children from a first marriage.  After his first wife left him, he placed three of his children in foster care; one child was adopted.  The deceased never provided financially for his children.  He eventually married his second wife.  His Will left his entire estate to his second wife.  His executrix later learned of the existence of the four children and found addresses for them among the deceased's belongings.  She mailed notices in the form prescribed by British Columbia's Estate Administration Act, along with copies of the Will.  None of the children received the notices, as the addresses were outdated.  The executrix did not apply to the court for directions and apparently took no active steps to verify the addresses or the current whereabouts of the children.  Three years after the deceased's death, three of the children commenced an pplication under British Columbia's Wills Variation Act.  The executrix and second wife sought to have their application dismissed, on the basis that the limitation period had expired.

The Court ultimately concluded that the executrix and the second wife were estopped from invoking the limitation period defence.  The Court held that the executrix did not meet the statutory degree of diligence required when giving notice and failed to "deliver" the notices as required by the Estate Administration Act.  Simply mailing the notices to unconfirmed addresses was insufficient, and the executrix should have made reasonable inquiries into the current whereabouts of the children.

Have a great day!

Bianca La Neve

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A recent Toronto Life magazine article, “The New Death Etiquette” examines mourning in the 21^st century. The new death etiquette includes multicultural hybrid funerals and intricate grieving rituals. Many funerals now are elaborate functions designed to reflect the individual personality of the deceased person. As stated in the article, there is no such thing as a standard burial these days. 

Most of us probably do not like to think about our funeral and final resting place. However, when it comes time to preparing a Will, many individuals will ask their lawyer to include burial instructions, such as a wish for cremation or to be buried in a particular cemetery. It may come as a surprise to learn that in Ontario, such instructions are not binding on the estate trustee. It is the estate trustee who has the right and obligation to bury a deceased person, even in the face of objections from family members. The authority for this comes from an English case decided over 100 years ago, Williams v. Williams (1882), 20 Ch. D. 659, where it was held that there is no property in a dead body, and so a person cannot by will dispose of their own dead body. An estate trustee, however, has the right to custody and possession of a deceased’s body until it is properly buried. 

Have a great day!

Bianca La Neve