Probate Costs $525 Here and $33,000 There Terrence and Yolanda kept a folder in the hall closet. Two wills, two powers of attorney, two personal directives, the life insurance policies, and a list of account numbers in Yolanda’s handwriting. They’d redone the whole set with a Calgary lawyer the year Read more
Two Years, Not Two Months: What Executors Don’t Expect When Kaveh’s father died, the lawyer read through the will and confirmed what Kaveh already half expected. His father had named him executor. His sister looked across the table and said, “Well, you’re better with paperwork than I am.” Kaveh didn’t Read more
Most Executors Don’t Know They Can Be Paid Most people who agree to be an executor do it out of love, loyalty, or a sense of obligation. It feels like the right thing to do. It rarely feels like a job. But it is a job. And in Canada, it’s a Read more
Okay, you can’t really disinherit the CRA It’s a bit of a cheeky title, I know. You can’t really “disinherit” the CRA. If tax is owing, it’s owing. But you can take steps to reduce unnecessary tax and help ensure more of your estate goes where you intended. That matters, Read more
The Final Return: Tax Steps Executors Can’t Afford to Miss When someone passes away, their tax responsibilities don’t end with their last breath. In fact, for the executor, this is where the tax work truly begins. Preparing the final tax return, often called the “terminal return,” is one of the Read more
The Real Frights Behind Estate Planning Nightmares Every October, we decorate our homes with cobwebs, pumpkins, and plastic skeletons. We expect a little fright during Halloween, even if the only ones trying to spook us are kids dressed as ghosts and superheroes. The real chills start when there’s no estate Read more
Estate Planning: By Design or By Disaster? Estate planning is something most of us know we should do, yet many avoid. Some think it only matters at the very end of life, while others feel it’s too complicated to tackle now. The truth is, estate planning isn’t just about death; Read more
The Certified Executor Advisor Advantage: A Lifeline for Executors When someone you love passes away, or when you’re trying to get your own affairs in order, you don’t usually think, “I should find a Certified Executor Advisor.” Instead, you’re faced with questions like: Where do I even start as an Read more
Executor Survival Kit: You’ve Been Named. Now What? So… you’ve just found out you’ve been named executor. Maybe you expected it. Maybe it came out of left field. Either way, it’s official. You’re now the person responsible for settling someone’s estate. And while most people assume this is just a Read more
Deemed Disposition at Death: What Executors Need to Know When someone dies in Canada, their tax obligations don’t end. They can, in fact, become significantly more complicated. One of the most important and often misunderstood rules is the deemed disposition of assets at death. This rule can result in a Read more
