Today’s blog is being brought to you by guest blogger, Tracy Parkinson, law clerk in the Private Client Services group of Fasken LLP. Thinking now back to what life was like a year ago, I’d say that we were living “footloose and fancy free” although it might not have felt like it at the time. I can say for certain that if someone had told me that within a year….
One Short Year Ago! Continue Reading »
Uncategorized[caption id="attachment_12694" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Tabernacle by Orcagna, 1359, Orsanmichelle, Florence[/caption] In 1348 the plague hit Florence – and Europe – hard. Half the population died in this densely populated city of 80,000. One result of this mass die-off was 350,000 florins of bequests to one organization, Orsanmichele, a grain market with a miracle producing Madonna shrine. How much is 350,000 florins? It was equal to the annual budget of the….
The Plague and Charitable Bequests Continue Reading »
Estate Donations, Philanthropy/Charitable Giving, Uncategorized
We are now several weeks into self-isolation, physical distancing, and working from home. Litigating is certainly not top of mind for most people. Moreover, the courts are operating under a limited schedule and will continue restricting the number of matters moving forward well into the summer (jury trials, for example, won’t begin until September 2020 and certain matters will be given priority over others). Many private mediations have been postponed….
Thoughts on Litigating in a Pandemic Continue Reading »
Estate Litigation, In the News, Practice ManagementIndividuals can apply for support through government disability programs such as the Ontario Disability Support Program (“ODSP”) subject to maximums for levels of assets and income. For a single adult with no dependents applying under the ODSP the asset limit is currently $40,000. The OSDP regulations prescribe how assets are determined and creates several exemptions. Monies that are held not available to a recipient because they are held in a….
Had A Henson Trust Been Created? Tribunal Was Not Convinced Continue Reading »
Disability, Healthcare, In the News, Uncategorized
As of Sunday, 112 long-term care homes in Ontario are grappling with COVID-19 outbreaks and the number is still growing. From the 553 deaths (as reported on Sunday April 19 9:35 am), 240 were residents of long- term care homes. Shockingly, four residences have reported more than 20 deaths each and at the time of writing of this blog, include: Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon: 29 deaths Eatonville Care Centre….
And the losers are Long Term Care patients Continue Reading »
Elder Care
Accommodating Beneficiaries With Differing Gender Identities Our society is becoming increasingly attuned to accommodating the needs of people who have various gender identities, whether such people are transgender, queer, or do not identify as one specific gender. For example, Ontario announced a few years ago that its residents can use an “X” under the “Sex” indicator on provincial government identification to signify that they identify as transgender, non-binary, and/or two-spirited,….
Accommodating Beneficiaries of a Will With Differing Gender Identities Continue Reading »
Contested wills, Dependant Support, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning, Family Conflict, Wills