Author: O'Sullivan Estate Lawyers

There have been a lot of great songs written about change. Like a broken heart, it’s a universal theme, and an essential part of our human experience. One of my favourites is “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles. (Fun fact – this was the first music video to

This past summer, history was made at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when Canadian soccer player, Quinn, became the first openly transgendered and non-binary athlete to not only compete at the Olympics, but to also win an Olympic medal (which happened to be gold, by the way!). Quinn’s journey to the

We all know that divorce rates are high, and common law relationships are increasingly, well, common. You may not know that a very high percentage of divorced individuals will eventually remarry, and more than one in four Canadians who are in a spousal relationship are in their second or subsequent

In previous blogs, “Avoiding Executor Dissent” and “Key Considerations in Choosing your Executors,” we have stressed the importance of choosing the right executor and provided some considerations for appointing executors. Being an executor is not easy. Time and time again, we see executors who are not only surprised by their appointment

In our Advisory “Planning for Incapacity Using a Power of Attorney”, we discuss the benefits of having powers of attorney for personal care (medical and other care decisions) and for property (assets and financial decisions), and provide some information regarding powers of attorney and how they function in Ontario, including

“Why do I need a will?” – a question we hear from many clients new to estate planning. It is usually followed up by a list of reasons why clients think they don’t need a will, which can range from believing they are too young and don’t have anything of

In the estate context, it’s not easy dealing with trusts where U.S. beneficiaries are involved. U.S. beneficiaries can seriously complicate an estate plan, particularly regarding ongoing trusts. In a previous blog, “Estate Planning When a Child Moves to the U.S.,” I discussed the tax implications and Canadian tax filings which

Being asked by a loved one to act as an executor of their estate is not always the honour some think it is. Administering an estate can be a difficult and burdensome process, and coupled with grieving the loss of a loved one and dealing with demanding beneficiaries, the role

Moving is hard. There are so many details to take care of, to-dos to check off, people to inform. Moving internationally is even more complicated, often involving far-reaching tax implications and a new language, among other changes. In all the confusion and rush, things can get left behind. When it’s

A Look at Resulting Trusts When leaving money to their children, clients generally have two objectives: (1) to make things as simple as possible for their children, and (2) to pay the least amount of taxes. Clients want to ensure that the wealth they have accumulated over their lifetime actually