NoticeConnect Blog

23 March 2020 TAGS: Will Registry

How our Canada Will Registry helps professionals work from home

As law firms across the country institute work-from-home policies in response to COVID-19, the centrality of paper records in wills and estates is causing problems.

20 March 2020 TAGS: PracticeConsiderations

What is Testamentary Capacity and How to Identify Capacity Issues With Elderly Clients

In law, there is a presumption of testamentary capacity when an adult executes a will. The legal test for testamentary capacity initially set out in Banks v Goodfellow and adopted by the Supreme Court of Canada in Ouderkirk v Ouderkirk will be discussed.

18 March 2020 TAGS: PracticeConsiderations

5 Tips From a Tech Company on Working From Home

As a legal tech company, oftentimes we work from home or have the option to. With the current COVID-19 pandemic many companies are asking their employees to work from home. Below we have listed some tips to help you work from home!

16 March 2020 TAGS: Estates

Death and Taxes: 5 Tips for Executors

Administering an estate? If you've never been an estate administrator before, it can seem like an overwhelming task with many bases to cover. It is helpful to know what you are getting yourself into and the best practices to properly administer an estate so that no stone is left unturned.

5 March 2020 TAGS: Wills

3 Things to Consider Before Contesting a Will

Contesting a will can be a long and exhausting process along with an emotional and financial burden for you and your family. In some situations though, it is necessary. Here are some considerations if you're contemplating a will challenge.

25 February 2020 TAGS: Case Law

Case Brief - Mental Health and Testamentary Capacity

In Leonard v. Zychowicz, 2020 ONSC 662, the Superior Court considered the case of a will challenged on the grounds that the testator's history of bipolar disorder meant she lacked testamentary capacity.

19 February 2020 TAGS: PracticeConsiderations

Why Effective Note-Taking Matters in Your Estate Practice

To ensure your estate practice is running smoothly, you need to become well acquainted with the art of note taking. It is simply not okay to get basic information from your clients, you should have an understanding of your client's goals, intentions, family dynamics.

14 February 2020 TAGS: PracticeConsiderations

Client doesn't want to advertise for creditors? Have them sign an Acknowledgement and Direction

If your client is an estate trustee who doesn't want to advertise for creditors, it's important to have them sign an Acknowledgement and Direction confirming they were warned of the risks.

13 February 2020 TAGS: Wills

Your Will Checklist

Preparing a will can seem like a daunting (and dark) task to tackle, but really it is the best way to ensure that all your bases are covered and accounted for. Preparing a will that is clear, detailed, and can be located provides security for you and your loved ones.

11 February 2020 TAGS: Company Updates

With Will Builder's new Export feature, it's easy to join the Canada Will Registry

If you're using WillBuilder by DoProcess to keep a list of your firm's estate planning documents, you can use the new "Export" feature to register your entire vault on the Canada Will Registry.

5 February 2020 TAGS: Company Updates

Free Registration for LegalWills.ca Customers

We are excited to announce that NoticeConnect has connected our Canada Will Registry with LegalWills.ca.

4 February 2020 TAGS: Wills

Planning For Your Digital Assets

Simply put, Digital Assets can be anything stored on a physical device or on the cloud. Anything from an online account to a digital camera can be a digital asset.

4 February 2020 TAGS: Case Law

Case Brief: Court Orders Are Not Suggestions

The New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench had strong words, in Jensen v. Jensen, 2020 NBQB 8, when it recently handed down a contempt order to an executor in an estate dispute.

23 January 2020 TAGS: Company Updates

Notice to Creditors: Custom Template Feature

Last month at NoticeConnect we launched our Custom Template feature! This new feature allows users to customize and save their own Notice to Creditors template.

21 January 2020 TAGS: Estate Law

Practice Considerations: How to Avoid Solicitor Negligence

Negligence claims against estate practitioners have steadily increased. By following these simple best practice considerations avoid solicitor negligence.

16 January 2020 TAGS: Case Law

Case Brief: Disinheriting your only living heir

In Re Vaudrey, 2019 ONSC 7551, the Superior Court of Justice considered a case where a deceased individual's only living heir was expressly disinherited by the will.

7 January 2020 TAGS: Guest Post

Case Brief: Executor Sought and Denied Indemnity From Beneficiaries for Income Tax Liability of Estate

In this recent Alberta Court of Queen's Bench case, Much Estate, the executor was found to be personally responsible for paying a significant portion of the estate's tax liability.

12 December 2019 TAGS: Will Registry

Connecting the Canada Will Registry with Willful

The Canada Will Registry has partnered with Willful to make it easier for individuals to register their wills on the Canada Will Registry.

3 December 2019 TAGS: Guest Post

Case Comment: Slover v Rellinger 2019 ONSC 6497 on Testamentary Capacity & Undue Influence

In this lengthy (82 page) decision, Justice Sanfilippo addresses an estate dispute involving tense family relationships, complex estate planning documents, questions concerning testamentary capacity, undue influence, and the admissibility of a retrospective capacity assessment.

21 November 2019 TAGS: Case Law

Case Brief - A disinherited granddaughter challenges two wills

In Balanko v. Logan De Chavez*, 2019 ABQB 860, the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta considered the case of a disinherited granddaughter who challenged two wills.

19 November 2019 TAGS: Discussion

Q&A with Kavina Nagrani, JD, TEP

We caught up with estate lawyer and longtime NoticeConnect advisor Kavina Nagrani this month.

18 November 2019 TAGS: Guest Post

From the Sidelines to the Spotlight: The Sager Estate

Craig Sager was a longtime sideline reporter for Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association who passed away at the age of 65 after a two year battle with acute myeloid leukemia in 2016.

24 October 2019 TAGS: Case Law

Case Brief: Holding up the administration of an estate

In Maloney v. Maloney, 2019 ONSC 5632, the Superior Court considered a motion related to an estate administration held up by a notice of objection.

21 October 2019 TAGS: Wills

Register your own will on the Canada Will Registry

The Canada Will Registry isn't just for law firms and trust companies. Anyone can use it to register their will and ensure that this important document is found when it's needed.

15 October 2019 TAGS: Wills

Is your firm using a spreadsheet to keep track of its wills?

Many firms keep a list of their wills in a spreadsheet or a binder, but is this the best way to keep track of your wills? The Canada Will Registry comes with powerful features that make it easy to stay organized.