Wills, Trusts & Estates
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June 06, 2025
PM Carney appoints parliamentary secretaries to support lawyer-rich cabinet & PMO
Prime Minister Mark Carney has tapped a number of lawyers to assist the many lawyers he has already appointed to key cabinet posts.
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June 05, 2025
Ottawa reintroduces Citizenship Act reforms that create new framework for ‘citizenship by descent’
The minority Liberal government has reintroduced Citizenship Act amendments that would create a new “citizenship by descent” framework going forward, allowing those born abroad to Canadians, beyond the first generation, to access Canadian citizenship based on a Canadian parent’s “substantial connection” to Canada.
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June 05, 2025
Undue influence and suspicious circumstances
Lawyers who deal with potentially vulnerable clients must always be on the lookout that such clients are not the subject of undue influence. Undue influence can be exerted by people in a position to exploit the client’s vulnerabilities, such as caregivers, parents and children, and can include those who have been granted power of attorney for property or personal care.
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June 05, 2025
Viewing estate and related family disputes through a different lens
As Canada becomes a more aged society, the number of estate and related family disputes continues to grow. As this growth happens, we need to review how we approach estate dispute resolution to ensure we can keep pace with the evolving expectations of families, the changes in our society and the advancements in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in general.
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June 03, 2025
Clark Wilson announces three new associates
Clark Wilson has announced the promotion of Pavneet Grewal, Scott Stewart-Lee and Simon Wu from articled students to associates.
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June 02, 2025
Prime Minister Carney taps Montreal lawyers for key roles in PMO
Prime Minister Mark Carney has hired prominent Montreal lawyer Marc-André Blanchard, the former chair and CEO of McCarthy Tétrault LLP, as his chief of staff, while ex-federal justice minister David Lametti, counsel with Montreal’s Fasken, is also taking on senior responsibilities in the new Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), according to media reports.
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June 02, 2025
Clear as mud? Ontario courts provide context regarding waiver of OBCA dissent rights
In the context of shareholders’ agreements, contracting parties may waive their statutory dissent rights afforded under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (OBCA). In order for the waiver to be enforceable it must be made with clear and direct language.
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May 30, 2025
SCC rules Quebec licensing law does not apply to firms providing airport, maritime private security
In a judgment that turns on the application of the constitutional doctrine of interjurisdictional immunity, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled 9-0 that Quebec’s Private Security Act (PSA) does not apply to two companies that engage in airport and marine port security in the province because the Quebec law impairs activities at the core of exclusive federal jurisdiction over aeronautics, navigation and shipping.
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May 30, 2025
B.C. legal institute hopes to increase understanding of economic abuse in family law
The British Columbia Law Institute (BCLI) is looking to shed some light on an issue that it says has been seriously under-explored in legal literature and case law — economic abuse in family law, especially as it relates to family businesses.
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May 30, 2025
Another 404 error: Fake case law likely generated by AI
The explosive development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) platforms such as ChatGPT means that courts are increasingly faced with the task of determining what is real. AI can be an efficient tool for litigants to research and understand the applicable legal concepts and issues in their disputes. However, the current limitations of certain AI platforms involve a danger that fictitious authorities will be created to substantiate seemingly persuasive legal arguments.