There is a common misconception that Alberta estates, and estates in Canada generally, are subject to an “estate tax” based on the total value of the estate, as in the United States. This is not correct; however, Alberta estates are often face a significant tax liability depending on the nature …
5 Changes to Your Estate Plan After Separation
In the aftermath of separation most former spouses focus on issues such as parenting plans, child or spousal support and division of family assets. Often overlooked is making changes to your estate plan after separation, including changing the designations of your now former spouse as Executor in your Will, Attorney …
What is Probate in Alberta?
Or more precisely, what is a Grant of Probate? In its most simple terms, a Grant of Probate is the Surrogate Court’s confirmation that a deceased person’s Will is valid, and that the named Executor is authorized to begin the process of administering the deceased’s Estate. The application for a …
Top 10 Reasons Not to Write a Will
The COVID 19 Pandemic has spawned a number of articles recommending that people write or update their Wills. In the interest of injecting some levity into the situation, I am revisiting this blog post from several years ago. There are several iterations of this article – this version was cribbed …