WHAT I’M READING: INTERESTING ESTATE ARTICLES FOR APRIL 2026

The following is a round-up of noteworthy articles published this month on estate litigation issues:

1. With the excitement surrounding NASA’s Artemis program, plans for future human presence on the moon, and potential corporate interest in lunar resource extraction, Geoffrey Sculthorpe of Hull & Hull LLP (Ontario) considers issues with private ownership of space resources and how those interests might pass on death. Estate planners may not need to grapple with this just yet – but it may not be far off: https://hullandhull.com/2026/04/who-inherits-the-moon/
2. CBC News reports on Eleanor McCain, heiress and daughter of the late founder of McCain Foods, a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Ms. McCain has commenced litigation, claiming she has been “trapped” in the family company and is unable to sell or otherwise realize value from her inherited shares: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/eleanor-mccain-french-fry-trapped-9.7157765
3. Stan Rule of Sabey Rule LLP (Kelowna) writes about a recent British Columbia Court of Appeal leave decision concerning personal costs awarded against an executor who brought an unsuccessful action in that capacity. The case underscores a sometimes overlooked point: a personal representative acting in their capacity as executor is not a separate legal person from themselves personally: https://rulelaw.blogspot.com/2026/04/is-someone-named-in-lawsuit-as-both.html
4. Suzana Popovic-Montag, also of Hull & Hull LLP, reviews the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision in Riddle v. ivari, examining when court-ordered declarations of death may be set aside by the court where there is reason to believe the person declared deceased  may, in fact, be alive. While the case involves Quebec legislation, a similar statute exists in B.C. (Presumption of Death Act): https://hullandhull.com/2026/04/dead-until-proven-alive-supreme-court-of-canada-clarifies-when-declarations-of-death-can-be-set-aside/
5. For those who prefer to watch rather than read about estate litigation issues, Netflix is currently airing a four-part documentary series on the succession battle that has embroiled the Murdoch Family (of Fox News fame) in recent years. The series is entitled ‘Dynasty: The Murdochs.’

Happy reading (and watching)!