Wills, Trusts & Estates
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December 02, 2024
Judicial appointment announced in B.C.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani announced the appointment of Lindsay R. LeBlanc as a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Victoria, a Nov. 29 news release announced.
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December 02, 2024
Debating privileged wills: Should we still have them?
Most courts in Canada now have the power to validate wills that do not comply with the requisite formalities of execution and submit them to probate, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Northwest Territories. Ontario is the most recent province to introduce the will-validating power, having enacted s. 21.1 of the Succession Law Reform Act (the SLRA) on Jan. 1, 2022.
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November 29, 2024
The future of AI and probate applications
While modern artificial intelligence (“AI”) has already proved an immensely useful tool, with IBM’s Watson serving as an early example of a natural language processor able to receive and respond to plain language inquiries in plain language with a high degree of accuracy, it has also proven to have its limitations. Newer systems, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, are becoming ubiquitous and, to the extent these systems are designed to be responsive to inquiries, they are limited by factors such as the clarity and precision of the questions posed to them.
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November 29, 2024
LSO addresses new working groups, information on confidentiality of investigations
Ontario’s law society used its November Convocation to unveil a new working group focusing on the “long-term future” of the province’s paralegals and to codify rules around the confidentiality of information gathered in tribunal investigations.
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November 27, 2024
Law360 Canada Pulse survey: what lawyers really think about their profession
Find out what lawyers really think about their profession in Law360 Canada Pulse’s Lawyer Satisfaction Survey.
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November 26, 2024
Anti-money laundering fines reached record level in past year, says FINTRAC annual report
Fines issued against Canadian financial institutions, businesses and individuals for violating anti-money laundering laws and regulations reached a record $26.1 million during the 2023-24 fiscal year, according to Canada’s anti-money laundering watchdog.
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November 26, 2024
Secure your legacy: The importance of ‘Make-a-Will Month’
November is “Make-a-Will Month” — an opportunity to highlight the critical importance of having a will. With almost half of Canadians lacking a will, it is vital to raise awareness about how this document can protect families and ensure that wishes are respected after death, especially for individuals with significant wealth or other complexities.
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November 26, 2024
Law360 Canada Pulse survey: stress remains significant issue for lawyers
A recent survey of the legal profession is showing high levels of satisfaction with things like collegiality and collaboration at their firms and opportunities for advancement, but there is one issue that continues to remain a problem and has no easy fix — stress.
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November 25, 2024
Legislation needs updating in wake of cremation mix-up: lawyer
A Nova Scotia lawyer hopes the exoneration of a local funeral director in a case where the wrong body was cremated serves as a “wake-up call” for the province to update its “vague” rules governing the profession.
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November 25, 2024
Law360 Canada Pulse survey: majority of lawyers say they are satisfied with their jobs
A recent survey of lawyers is indicating overall satisfaction with many aspects of the profession, despite some lingering concerns about things like stress and compensation.