Katie Ionson

An interesting case has begun in the state of Louisiana involving “Modern Family” actress Sofia Vergara. For the past year, Ms. Vergara has been battling her former husband for custody of her fertilized eggs. The proceedings took a complicated turn this month when her husband filed an action on behalf of the embryos, arguing that the frozen embryos have a right to life. As the action suggests, the husband would like to take steps to unfreeze the embryos and bring them to term. In the proceedings, he argues on behalf of the embryos that keeping them frozen, which Ms. Vergara allegedly wishes to do, would be “tantamount to killing them”…..

In October, fellow blog-poster Corina Weigl wrote regarding the impact on individuals of recent changes to the rules surrounding the principal residence exemption. In addition to the changes impacting individuals, significant changes are proposed that will restrict the ability of trusts to claim the principal residence exemption residence for tax years after 2016. Currently, a personal trust is able to designate a property held in trust as a principal residence….

An incredibly useful and sometimes overlooked tool in planning for a client with a disabled loved one is the Registered Disability Savings Plan (“RDSP”). Here are a few key facts to know in discussing RDSPs with your client:[1] To qualify for an RDSP, the beneficiary must be eligible for the disability tax credit (“DTC” ). A person will be eligible for the DTC only if a medical practitioner (usually the….

I was recently asked how RESPs effect the calculation of a spouse’s net family property (“NFP”) for purposes of Ontario’s Family Law Act. Because a RESP is considered the property of the subscriber, and not a trust, it generally forms part of the subscriber’s estate on his or her death. As a result, this question is relevant not only on marriage breakdown but also when a spouse elects to receive….