I’ve posted before about the value of using a lawyer over a will kit, but here are some more reasons if you need them. Lawyers: Listen to your goals and make sure they are reflected in your documents. Offer advice on structuring your assets beyond just the will. Are...
Latest News
cesia@wall-arm.ca
Closing time
There are a lot of important considerations before you confirm that you have enough funds to be able to close: down payment, legal fees, moving trucks, etc. Here's another: tax adjustments. Depending on where you live, your city will charge property taxes every so...
Making funeral planning easier
Back in June, I wrote a post called "Can you afford to die?" After publishing it, I was contacted by Sandra Bento from the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services, who offered me a great deal of information on what the provincial government is doing to assist Ontarians...
Rentals to be assumed
Most people (in Ontario, anyway) rent their hot water heaters. What happens when you sell your house? Most agreements will provide that the hot water tank rental is to be assumed by the buyer. Generally, this is quite simple; if your rental is through Enbridge, as...
To make it joint or not to make it joint, that is the question
I have a lot of clients who ask me for advice on adding a child to their bank account (or house, or investment, or numerous other items) in order to avoid probate. The catch, however, is that sometimes, the cure is worse than the disease. If you add your son on title...
Toeing the line
In Ontario, most purchases close without an up-to-date survey, because most buyers purchase a title insurance policy at the same time that they buy the house. What happens if you find out after the fact that your neighbour's property encroaches onto yours? Generally...
Young, no kids, no assets: why do I need a will?
Historically, I have generally been of the view that you start needing a will when you have assets or dependants. So here is the question: what, exactly, constitutes having assets? Most of us think of assets as being a house, a car, maybe some investments. However,...
Handling disputes after death
I was given the opportunity to guest post over at the blog for Peaceful Transition, a local burial service. Tara was gracious enough to invite me to talk about what happens with executors and beneficiaries after death, and I shared a few stories of what could happen...
Property assessments
Last week, I received my 2012 property assessment notice from MPAC. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation assesses property values every four years for the purpose of determining municipal taxes. They do this through an analysis of sales, and focus on five...
The price of fame
Here's a new concept for a television show: what happens to someone's estate after they die. Believe it or not, this is actually airing on Investigation Discovery. Season three is about to start, and the first episode will feature the estate of Tammy Wynette, the...