Estate Planning

Anyone in Ontario engaged in estate planning or administration should consider the necessity of “probate.” This requires a clear understanding of what probate actually is and entails, its advantages and disadvantages, to help guide whether probate should be sought — or avoided.

A charitable bequest is, in its simplest form, a gift made to a charity after the death of an individual from their estate.

Chances are we have all heard of a Power of Attorney for Personal Care. It is typically drawn up for us by our lawyer, normally when we do our Will.

Every five years between five million and six million Canadians move. Stability, a job for life, roots are not the hallmarks of our age. But it’s still a good idea to buy a plot of ground or a crypt in a mausoleum in anticipation of your final resting place.

Grief comes in all sizes, all shapes. Sometimes it lingers. Sometimes it searches you out in the middle of the night. Sometimes it brushes you on the way out the door.

TORONTO - Along the low, grassy hills of Mount Hope Cemetery, monuments mark past lives and passing trends in honouring the dead. From modern cremation niches to old family mausoleums, walking through Mount Hope is like walking through a timeline of design.

Pre-planning your own funeral can relieve some stress for your family at the time of your death, says Bradley Scott.

In my job with the archdiocese of Toronto, I meet a lot of people and have a lot of conversations. Some are more interesting than others. Below is one with a man I’ll call Gunter that I’ll not soon forget.

TORONTO - Having a financial plan in place before you die will help keep the tax man’s hands off your assets.

If you’re used to buying low and selling high, donating stocks to the Church might be an option to consider.