For most people, the family pet is as much a member of the household as a spouse and children. It is therefore important to plan for what will happen to your pets upon your death. It is possible to leave pets to the care of a trusted friend or relative, and you can...
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cesia@wall-arm.ca
Title Insurance: You probably already have it
I received a mailer the other day advising me to speak to someone at an unnamed financial institution about title insurance in order to protect myself from fraud. Title insurance is a very valuable tool; it protects you from any problems with the title to your...
What happens if you don’t have a will?
There are very specific rules on where your assets go if you die intestate (without a will). In Ontario, these rules are contained within the Succession Law Reform Act. Essentially, the government uses a rigid set of rules to determine your next of kin and distribute...
HST and Real Estate
On June 19, 2009, the federal government passed legislation that implemented Ontario’s new Harmonized Sales Tax, which will take effect on July 1, 2010. For information on how it will affect condo buildings, see this post at The Condo Law Blog. While the tax will not...
Elder abuse and misuse of powers of attorney
As our population ages, it will be increasingly common for people to be caring for elderly parents and other relatives. In order to protect seniors, governments in Canada have put in place safeguards to ensure that they are not taken advantage of. Lynne Butler has an...
Where should you store your Will?
Storage of your will and related documents is almost as important as having them drafted. They should be easily accessible, and someone you trust should always know where they are. If you are not storing them with your lawyer, some other options are a safety deposit...
Free Wills Month
I am participating in a program during May called Free Wills Month. The concept is this: People over age 55 can call about having a will done. If they set up the appointment during May (and the appointment itself can be after the end of May), their wills will be paid...
What is MPAC?
The second tax instalment was due this week in Barrie. Municipal taxes are set based on your property’s assessed value; that value is determined by a company called the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. MPAC looks at five main five factors: location, lot...
Welcome to my blog
I am a lawyer practising in Ontario with a focus on real estate and estates. I hope to use this blog to share interesting aspects of both real estate and estates law. I plan to post on interesting issues that are not as well-known as they should be and advice that has...