Probate Terminology: Defining Commonly Used Legal Terms
What is Probate? As a Wills and Estates lawyer, the two questions I’m most frequently asked are “What is probate?” and “When do I have to go through probate?”. I’m glad people ask those questions because the legal terminology that surrounds the Probate process can be difficult to understand if you don’t have a background... Read More
10 Reasons NOT to Get a Will
When I tell people I’m a Wills & Estates lawyer, the most common response I receive is something along the lines of “I need to get my Will done one of these days, I’ve been putting it off for years.” Similarly, many of my Wills clients sheepishly admit that they’ve procrastinated writing their Will for... Read More
Wills Terminology: Defining Commonly Used Legal Terms
We break down commonly-used Wills terminology you might encounter while Estate planning. Will/Last Will and Testament A “Will”, sometimes known as a “Last Will and Testament”, is a document that expresses an individual’s wishes with respect to property and dependents, should they pass away. Typically, a Will appoints someone to gather and distribute the Will-maker’s property... Read More
Who Acts as Executor when Someone Dies Without a Will?
What Does an Executor of a Will Do? When someone dies in Alberta without leaving a valid Will, they’re deemed to have died “intestate.” Nearly every Will appoints an Executor—the Executor’s responsibilities include determining who the Estate’s beneficiaries are and locating them, “marshalling”, or gathering the deceased’s assets, liquidating any hard assets into cash, settling... Read More
Dying Without a Will in Alberta: What Happens to my Assets?
Having a valid, up-to-date Will in place is extremely important. However, the stark reality is that most Canadians don’t have one. In fact, a 2018 Angus-Reid poll cited in the National Post found that only 35% of Canadians have an up-to-date Will in place, and only 51% of Canadians have a Will at all! The... Read More
Calgary Debt Recovery and Collections Lawyer
Collecting on a debt can be an onerous and time-consuming process. Although our primary goal is to recover a client’s debt without the expense and time of litigation, we are dedicated advocates and are ready to act for you at all levels of the process. Our Lawyers understand that successfully suing for a debt is... Read More
Estate Litigation: What Could Go Wrong?
The death of a loved one or family member is always difficult. Therefore, disputes over an Estate can often be protracted, emotional and complex. Proper Estate Planning can help mitigate the need for future litigation regarding the Estate, however, there are some instances where Estate disputes become unavoidable. Not only are these disputes stressful for... Read More
[COVID-19] Temporary Updates to the Alberta Employment Standards Code
Changes to Unpaid Leave Employees who are unable to work because they are caring for children affected by school and daycare closures, or are caring for ill, or self-isolated family members due to COVID-19, will now have access to unpaid job-protected leave. Employees do not need to be employed for a minimum of 90 days... Read More
[FAQs] Employment Law
Can my employer terminate me for any reason? Yes. An employer can terminate whoever they want, whenever they want, so long as they provide the employee with proper notice of the termination, or the proper payment in lieu of notice, and the reason for the termination is not discriminatory. This is considered a termination without... Read More
[FAQs] Executor of a Will
Who should I appoint as my Executor? Appointing an Executor (also referred to as a Personal Representative or Trustee) can be a challenging task. Finding someone who is willing and able to be saddled with the responsibility of administering your Estate is a process that involves some important considerations. Above all, the primary consideration is... Read More