Wills, Trusts & Estates
Estate and Incapacity Planning
Planning for the transfer of wealth to the next generation doesn’t have to be full of worry, no matter how “simple” or “complex” your circumstances are. Our specialists work with you to ensure that your personal inheritance-planning objectives are achieved in a manner that maximizes wealth and minimizes tax, while also protecting you and your beneficiaries under family law legislation, dependent support legislation, and other applicable legislation.
We assist clients in preparing wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. We have expertise in the area of charitable gift planning and in establishing private foundations and charitable organizations. We assist business owners with business succession matters and with implementing plans on reorganizing interests in private companies
We ensure that you have adequately planned for the possibility of becoming incapable in the future. We prepare power of attorney documents respecting property by which you would authorize someone to deal with your property if ever you were to become incapable (such as handling banking and giving instructions to your investment advisor). We prepare power of attorney documents respecting your personal care by which you would authorize someone to deal with your medical treatment and health care decisions.
Estate and Trust Administration Services
To ease the administration burden, our specialists work with persons appointed to act as estate trustees/executors/ trustees of an estate. We assist with preparing applications to the court to be issued Certificates of Appointment of Estate Trustee. We provide advice to appointees to ensure that they understand the nature of their fiduciary obligations, to ensure that they comply with their legal obligations, and to ensure that they understand risks of personal liability. We assist in preparing estate and trust accounts for court applications dealing with how estates and trusts have been administered.
Estate Litigation
We understand the stress that losing a loved one can cause, especially if relationships between family members are strained and become worse after the death. We assist on disputes dealing with the manner in which someone has carried out power of attorney and other fiduciary obligations, on challenges respecting validity of wills, on challenges respecting what assets belong to the estate of a deceased, and dealing with support applications, and on determining appropriate compensation quantum on having exercised fiduciary responsibilities.
