Category: Wills Variation

Variation of Will by Adult Children Even When Will-Maker Had Valid and Rational Reasons

April 12, 2024

In B.C., a will-maker’s spouse or child (including an adult independent child) can bring an action to vary the will-maker’s will, if the will does not made adequate provision for them. There is no requirement that a will-maker treat their children equally in their will. However, unequal treatment is a frequent cause of wills variation litigation.

When considering wills variation claims by adult children, the Court must consider the will-maker’s moral duty owed to adult children, to be assessed using the objective standard of the objective will-maker, and keeping in mind that the moral duty may be negated where there is just cause. In other words, a will-maker may treat their children unequally (or even disinherit a child), when there are valid and rational reasons for doing so.

Some litigants sought to make the argument that if the will-maker provides reasons that are valid and rational, the Court should defer to the will-maker’s decision to treat children unequally. The argument was that if the reasons were valid and rational, then the Court cannot vary even if other factors weigh in favor of a variation.

The B.C. Court of Appeal was asked to consider this issue in Tom v. Tang 2023 BCCA 221. In Tom, the will-maker had five children. Seven days before her death, the will-maker changed her longstanding will which provided that each of her five children received an equal share of her estate. The new will provided that two of her children, who had lived with her and provided her primary care for three years, would received approximately 85% of the estate. The other three children would receive approximately 5% each. The estate was valued at approximately $2.3M. The will-maker had written a letter explaining why she intended to favor two of her children.

The three children receiving lesser amounts brought an action to vary the will. The trial judge varied the will to provide that the two children who provided primary care would each get a gift of $300,000, and then the remainder of the estate would be divided equally among the five children. This was viewed as a balance between the will-maker’s attempt to recognize the role of the two children in her care, but also meet her moral obligations to all of her children.

The issue on appeal was whether the will should have been upheld given that the will-maker had valid and rational reasons for leaving less to three of her children. Again, the argument was made that if there are valid and rational reasons, then the will cannot be varied.

The B.C. Court of Appeal made clear that this is not the law. Previous cases did not stand for the principle that a will-maker’s unequal treatment of adult children must be deferred to, without regard to the objective standard of the reasonable will-maker and current social norms, as long as the subjective reasons given for the unequal distribution are valid and rational.

A will-maker’s moral duty to adult children must be assessed from the viewpoint of a reasonable testator, and that the moral duty may be negated where there is just cause. So, the will-maker’s purported “valid and rational reasons” are only one factor, and the trial judge did not err in assessing using the objective standard.

The Court of Appeal agreed with the trial judge that the will did not make adequate provision for the three children, and agreed that the will ought to be varied. The Court of Appeal ordered that the two children who provided care would each get 30% of the estate, and the remaining three children should receive an equal share of the remaining 40% of the estate. This would provide the two care-providing children with slightly more than they would have received at trial.

While this case provides some guidance to wills variation claimants, it creates uncertainty for will-makers, as it shows that even though the will-maker may have had reasons to treat their children unequally, and these reasons are valid and rational, their will may still be varied by the court due to other factors.

Wills Variation Claims by Adult Independent Children

February 16, 2024

In B.C., a spouse or child of a deceased person (the “will-maker”) can bring an action to vary a will if it fails to make adequate provision for their proper maintenance and support. This includes adult independent children.

When determining whether a will-maker has made adequate provision, the Court will consider the will-maker’s legal and moral obligations. Legal obligations are owed to a spouse or dependent children and do not usually factor into the analysis of claims by adult independent children (unless the child contributed to the estate).

Moral obligations are found in society’s reasonable expectations of what a judicious person would do in the circumstances by reference to contemporary community standards. Moral obligations to adult independent children are “tenuous”, but there may be entitlement if the size of the estate justifies it.

The moral obligation may be negated where the will-maker has just cause, consisting of objectively valid and rational reasons, to disinherit the child.

Cases in B.C. have identified factors to be considered when determining the existence and strength of a will-maker’s moral duty to independent adult children:

  • relationship between the testator and claimant, including abandonment, neglect, and estrangement by one or the other;
  • size of the estate;
  • contributions by the claimant;
  • reasonably held expectations of the claimant;
  • standard of living of the will-maker and claimant;
  • gifts and benefits made by the will-maker outside the will;
  • will-maker’s reasons for disinheriting;
  • financial need and other personal circumstances, including disability, of the claimant;
  • misconduct or poor character of the claimant; and
  • competing claimants and other beneficiaries.

Every case is fact specific.

These principles were recently applied in Bautista v. Gutkowski Estatei 2023 BCSC 1485. In Bautista, the will-maker had one child, a son. The will-maker moved to Canada from the Philippines when her son was three months old. She abandoned him, and despite making a life for herself in Canada, she did not petition to have him join her. She did provide for his support by giving money to her parents, who were raising him. At times they had a close relationship, but as her son became an adult, the will-maker disapproved of the lifestyle she was being told that he was leading (although it appears she was being misled). This lead to an estrangement that was the will-maker’s choice (and her son attempted to reach out to her by email and text).

The will-maker made a will leaving 25% of her estate to her son, and 75% to her sister and her niece. The estate was valued at $881,119.

The Court considered the various factors, including the son’s modest standard of living in the Philippines. The Court varied the Will to provide that the son will receive 60% of the estate, instead of only 25%.

B.C. Case Comment: Court Varies Will that Makes Equal Provision for Will-maker’s Children

March 30, 2023

You cannot assume that if you leave your estate to your children in equal shares, then the court cannot or will not vary it.  Making equal provision for your children in your will does not mean that the will is immune from a successful wills variation action.  There may be good reason to make greater provision for one child over the other(s), and the child who claims they ought to have received more may successfully bring an action to vary your will to receive a larger share of the estate than their siblings.

This was the case in the recent B.C. Supreme Court decision of Rawlins v. Rawlins 2023 BCSC 466.  In Rawlins, the deceased had three sons.  Her will provided that if she survived her husband (which she did), her estate was to be divided equally between her three sons.  The estate was worth approximately $2.5M.

The plaintiff (one of the sons) brought an action to vary his mother’s will, so that he received a larger share of the estate than his brothers.

In B.C., a spouse or child of a will-maker may bring an action to vary a will if it does not make just and adequate provision for them.  When deciding a wills variation claim, the court must consider (1) whether the will properly accounts for the legal duties owed to the spouse and children during the will-maker’s lifetime, and (2) the moral duties toward the will-maker’s spouse and children.

Legal obligations include spousal support and spousal property rights, child support obligations, and, in some cases, unjust enrichment claims.  Moral obligations are society’s reasonable expectations of what a judicious spouse or parent would do in the circumstances, with regard to contemporary community standards.  The court has a wide discretion to vary a will to make proper provision, and it is a fact specific inquiry.

In Rawlins, the plaintiff argued that he had a legal claim based on unjust enrichment, and a greater moral claim.  He relied on the following grounds in support of his position that he should receive a greater share of his mother’s estate: (1) his role in contributing to and maintaining the deceased’s home; (2) his role in looking after both of his parents in their final years, and (3) his expectation of receiving the home and certain investments upon the passing of his parents, based on statements allegedly made by his parents.

With respect to legal obligations, the plaintiff argued that the deceased’s estate was unjustly enriched by (1) the care that he provided to his parents in their final years, and (2) his alleged contributions to their home.

With respect to the home, the Court held that the plaintiff failed to show that his alleged contributions to the property involved any appreciable material benefit to the estate or materially increased the value of the property.  The plaintiff paid nothing towards the acquisition of the property, or the maintenance of the property (including property taxes or insurance).  The labour that he provided was merely to (1) assist his father with renovations, or (2) provide routine upkeep.  “The most that can be said is that [the plaintiff] contributed toward the Maintenace of the property where he lived, rent free.”

However, the care that the plaintiff provided for his parents did provide a material benefit to the estate.  The plaintiff was the primary caregiver for both of his parents during their final years, and cases have recognized that services by an adult for their parent have a legally recognizable value.  If the plaintiff had not been available to provide care, his parents would have paid for these services, which would have come out of what ultimately became estate funds.  The Court held that the deceased’s estate had a legal duty toward the plaintiff, in the form of an unjust enrichment claim, based upon the care provided.

With respect to moral obligations, the plaintiff’s contributions to the property were minimal, and were not a factor in his favor.  The care that he provided for his parents formed the basis of a legal obligation (the unjust enrichment discussed above), and so the Court did not consider this factor as a separate, independent basis for a moral claim by the plaintiff.  Finally, the Court did not find a moral claim based upon the plaintiff’s alleged expectation that he would inherit a greater share based upon statements made by his parents.  The Court held that his “expectation” of inheriting certain assets was “largely the product of [the plaintiff’s] subjectively-held beliefs and sense of entitlement.”  There was no independent reliable evidence that the plaintiff was given any reason to expect that he would receive a greater share of the estate.

The defendant brothers also pointed out that the plaintiff continued to live in his parents’ house, rent free, after their deaths, and so since his mother died in 2018, the estate has paid the plaintiff’s housing costs.

The Court weighed all of the circumstances, and concluded that apart from the unjust enrichment claim, the plaintiff failed to establish that his mother’s will did not make adequate provision for him.  The Court varied the will to provide that the plaintiff would receive a gift of $115,000, less two thirds of all property taxes paid or payable by the estate for the property from 2018 to 2022.  The rest of the estate was to be divided equally as between the three sons, as provided for in the will.

This case serves as a reminder that just because you provide equally for your children in your will, there may still be a successful wills variation claim.  It is also noteworthy that this relatively modest variation was only obtained after the time and expense to the parties of an eleven-day trial.

Spousal Status in Estate Litigation: Who is a “Spouse” and Why Does it Matter?

November 10, 2022

A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to speak to an audience of accountants about the issue of spousal status, and why it matters in estate litigation.  The following is a summary of my speaking notes from that presentation.

Spousal Status – Why Does it Matter?

A spouse has certain rights:

Wills Variation Rights:

Section 60 of the Wills, Estates and Succession Act (“WESA“) provides that if a will-maker dies leaving a will that does not, in the court’s opinion, make adequate provision for the proper maintenance and support of the will-maker’s spouse or children, the court may, in a proceeding by or on behalf of the spouse or children, order that the provision that it thinks adequate, just and equitable in the circumstances be made out of the will-maker’s estate for the spouse or children.

While most wills variation cases in the past focused on whether a will was fair, and what variation would be just and adequate, there are now many cases which deal with the issue of standing – you must be able to establish that you are a spouse, or you cannot make a wills variation claim.

Right to receive on intestacy:

If there is no will, then WESA sets out how an estate is to be distributed on an intestacy.  If there is a spouse and no descendants, then everything goes to the spouse.  If there is a spouse and descendants, then the spouse gets the preferred share ($300,000 if all children common to both, $150,000 if not), then half to spouse, half between descendants.  If there is no spouse, then the estate goes to the descendants, or the next closest relative(s).

Clearly, whether or not a person is a “spouse” will have significant consequences on the distribution of an intestate estate.

Other Potential Claims:

“Spouses” have attempted to make other claims which seek to challenge estate plans which move assets out of the estate to avoid wills variation claims:

  • Breach of fiduciary duty – arguing that there is a duty to notify your spouse that you have not made provision in your estate plan, so they can decide whether to initiate family law proceedings – Volovsek v Donaldson, 2019 BCSC 182;
  • Good conscience constructive trust – equitable remedy.

While these claims have not yet been met with a high degree of success, the first hurdle is proving spousal status.

Who is a Spouse – Importance for Executors:

One of the tasks for an executor is to determine if a person qualifies as a “spouse” and if notice under s. 121 of the WESA must be given to that person.  This is important to start the wills variation limitation period, and to protect an executor who seeks to distribute estate assets.

Who is a Spouse?

How is a “spouse” defined in WESA:

  • Section 2 – “when a person is a spouse under this act”
    • Two persons are spouses of each other if they were both alive immediately before a relevant time (usually the date of death of one of them), and
      • They were married; or
      • They had lived with each other in a marriage-like relationship for at least two years.
    • Two persons cease being spouses of each other for the purposes of the act if:
      • In the case of marriage, an event occurs that causes an interest in family property, as defined in Part 5 [Property Division] of the Family Law Act, to arise;
      • in the case of a marriage-like relationship, one or both persons terminate the relationship.
        • This is a determination that requires the court to consider both the expressed and implied intentions of each spouse and any available objective evidence.  The courts have interpreted this section broadly.
      • Two persons are not considered to have separated if, within one year after separation:
        • they begin to live together again and the primary purpose for doing so is to reconcile, and
        • they continue to live together for one or more periods, totaling at least 90 days.

So, there are number of potential issues when considering whether someone is a “spouse”:

  1. Whether there was a marriage-like relationship at all;
  2. If there was, whether it started more than two years before death;
  3. Whether someone terminated the relationship; and
  4. Whether there was a reconciliation, and if so whether it was long enough

There is also the potential for someone to have multiple spouses under the definition of “spouse.”

Whether a Marriage-Like Relationship Exists

There is no specific definition of whether a marriage-like relationship exists.  The precise definitions of the past are no longer valid in our changing world.  Such relationships are no longer defined by financial dependence, sexual relationships or the mingling of property and finances.  There is no “checklist” of characteristics that will invariably be found in all marriages.

The Courts in British Columbia often refer to the following passage from Yakiwchuk v. Oaks 2003 SKQB 124:

Spousal relationships are many and varied. Individuals in spousal relationships, whether they are married or not, structure their relationships differently. In some relationships there is a complete blending of finances and property- in others, spouses keep their property and finances totally separate and in still others one spouse may totally control those aspects of the relationship with the other spouse having little or no knowledge or input. For some couples, sexual relations are very important – for others, that aspect may take a back seat to companionship. Some spouses do not share the same bed. There may be a variety of reasons for this such as health or personal choice. Some people are affectionate and demonstrative. They show their feelings for their “spouse” by holding hands, touching and kissing in public. Other individuals are not demonstrative and do not engage in public displays of affection. Some “spouses” do everything together – others do nothing together. Some “spouses” vacation together and some spend their holidays apart. Some “spouses” have children – others do not. It is this variation in the way human beings structure their relationships that make the determination of when a “spousal relationship” exists difficult to determine. With married couples, the relationship is easy to establish. The marriage ceremony is a public declaration of their commitment and intent. Relationships outside marriage are much more difficult to ascertain. Rarely is there any type of “public” declaration of intent. Often people begin cohabiting with little forethought or planning. Their motivation is often nothing more than wanting to “be together”. Some individuals have chosen to enter relationships outside marriage because they did not want the legal obligations imposed by that status. Some individuals have simply given no thought as to how their relationship would operate. Often the date when the cohabitation actually began is blurred because people “ease into” situations, spending more and more time together. Agreements between people verifying when their relationship began and how it will operate often do not exist.

The parties’ intentions – particularly the expectation that the relationship will be of lengthy, indeterminate duration – may be of importance in determining whether a relationship is “marriage-like”. While the court will consider the evidence expressly describing the parties’ intentions during the relationship, it will also test that evidence by considering whether the objective evidence is consonant with those intentions.

When considering whether two persons are “spouses” the court will consider:

  • The parties’ intentions, particularly their expectation of whether the relationship would be lengthy and of indeterminate duration:
  • Objective evidence of the parties’ lifestyle and interactions supporting a finding that their interactions “closely resembled those typical of married couples;
  • Whether the parties treat themselves as a family unit;
  • Whether cohabitation was coupled with romantic and sexual relations;
  • Evidence of emotional interdependence, mutual commitment, and attachment;
  • Whether the parties co-mingled assets and shared expenses; and
  • Whether the parties treated themselves as single or cohabiting for income tax purposes 

Application of Spousal Status Considerations:

Very often, we are looking at cases where the deceased’s children (or siblings, or other family members) are denying that someone was a spouse.  We see wildly different versions of events.  The claimant says they were a spouse.  The children or other persons opposing may say that the alleged “spouse” was, in fact:

  • Previously in a relationship with the deceased, but the parties broke up, an ex-partner;
  • Casually dating, may have been one of several non-exclusive partners (the deceased said “would never marry again”);
  • Roommate;
  • Caregiver;
  • Friend; or
  • Complete stranger.

A person on the cusp of potentially being a “spouse” may take a shot at a claim, with the knowledge that most claims settle.

Evidence of Spousal Status:

The Courts want evidence of intentions AND objective evidence.  This may include:

  1. Evidence of the surviving “spouse” (concern it is self serving);
  2. Evidence of Opposing parties (again, concern it is self serving)
  3. Documents – tax returns, mail, next of kin, contact forms, direct beneficiary designations;
  4. Other third party witnesses – observed the relationship, statements made to them about relationship.  This may include friends, as well as professionals – solicitor/accountant/banker.

Available Claims if Not a “Spouse”

There are fewer available claims if a person is not a “spouse,” but there are still some remedies.  The claimant does not receive on an intestacy and has no wills variation rights.  However, there may be claims in unjust enrichment or promissory estoppel, claims based on ideas of unfairness and inequity.

B.C. Case Comment: Will Varied to give Disinherited Adult Child 30% of Father’s Estate

July 15, 2022

The B.C. Supreme Court recently considered a classic wills variation scenario:  an adult independent child from a deceased’s earlier relationship seeks to vary their parent’s will, which makes no provision for them, and instead provides for their second spouse.  It is very common to see wills variation claims in blended families.

In Pascuzzi v. Pascuzzi 2022 BCSC 907, the plaintiff was 32 years old when her father died.  Her parents had a short relationship, which ended before the plaintiff was born.  A few years later, the deceased met the person who would later become his wife, and he remained married to her until his death.  He had two children with her, and she had two children from a prior relationship.

The deceased left a will that was signed back in 1996, when the plaintiff was only nine years old.  The will provided for a trust that paid $450/month until the plaintiff turned 19 years old.  The remainder of the estate passed to the deceased’s wife.  In effect, the plaintiff was completely disinherited.  She brought a claim to vary her father’s will.

The Court went through the test for variation of a will by an adult independent child.

Wills variation claims must balance two fundamental interests: adequate, just and equitable provision for the will-maker’s spouse and children, and the will-maker’s decision to dispose of their estate as they see fit (testamentary autonomy).  In B.C., testamentary autonomy must yield to what is adequate, just and equitable.

To determine what is adequate, just and equitable, the court must look at the will maker’s legal and moral obligations.  When a wills variation claim is brought by a self-sufficient adult child with full capacity:

  1. There will usually be no legal obligation owed by the will-maker; and
  2. The moral claim will usually be more tenuous than that of a spouse or dependent child, but if the size of the estate permits, some provision for the child should be made, unless there are circumstances that would negate such an obligation.

The following circumstances are relevant when determining whether there is a moral obligation owed to an adult independent child (and the strength of that obligation):

  1. relationship between the will-maker and claimant, including abandonment, neglect, and estrangement by one or the other;
  2. size of the estate;
  3. contributions by the claimant;
  4. reasonably held expectations of the claimant;
  5. standard of living of the will-maker and claimant;
  6. gifts and benefits made by the testator outside the will;
  7. will-maker’s reasons for disinheriting;
  8. financial need and other personal circumstances, including disability, of the claimant;
  9. misconduct or poor character of the claimant; and
  10. competing claimants and other beneficiaries.

The Court in Pascuzzi went through each factor, and concluded that the deceased owed a moral obligation to the plaintiff.  Of particular relevance was the evidence that the deceased was in the course of ensuring that the plaintiff benefited from his estate.  For two or three years prior to the deceased’s death, he discussed estate planning with his wife, and agreed that the plaintiff “should get something”, although it was not clear what this would be, and of course he didn’t take steps to make a new will or otherwise benefit the plaintiff before his death.

The deceased’s wife pled that the deceased was not the plaintiff’s biological father.  However, she conceded at trial that she had no evidence to support this allegation.

In Pascuzzi, the Court did not fully accept either of the parties positions: on the one hand, that the deceased effectively abandoned the plaintiff as a child and never made an adequate effort to reconcile, and on the other hand that the deceased was a loving and caring father and any difficulties were caused by the plaintiff’s mother.  The deceased made a “terrible error in judgment” in the plaintiff’s early childhood, but over the course of time and reflection knew that he had made that error.

It appears that the estate was worth approximately $1.8 million.  The Court varied the will to provide that the plaintiff will receive 30% of the net value of the estate.

This case also serves as a useful reminder of the highly intrusive nature of wills variation litigation, especially if the matter proceeds to a trial.  The Court went through the history of the relationship between the plaintiff and her father in great detail.  The Court went so far as to quote from “an ill-advised and inappropriate letter” sent by the deceased to the plaintiff’s mother in 1992 (when the plaintiff was four years old), indicating that he would not be having the plaintiff to visit anymore.  When the Court is asked to consider the nature of the relationship between the will-maker and the person making the claim (including where there is estrangement), this often requires the Court to hear evidence on very personal and private matters, which becomes a matter of private record.

B.C. Case Comment: No Claim in Unjust Enrichment Arising from Contribution to Family Business

August 13, 2021

I am often contacted by the child of a deceased parent who strongly believes that they have not been treated fairly in that parent’s will (or one of their siblings is making this claim against them).  The death of a parent often brings up long-held perceptions of favoritism, unfairness and lack of appreciation. It is not unusual for a child to seek to revisit events going back years or even decades. This commonly results in wills variation claims and other estate litigation.

One “historical” claim that is sometimes brought is a claim relating to unpaid contributions to a family business. Children are often expected to contribute time and efforts to a family business with no remuneration (but they receive room and board). When those children are not treated fairly under their parents’ wills, they seek to go back and revisit the issue of the unpaid services that they provided.

This was the case in the recent B.C. Supreme Court decision of Tang v. Tom 2021 BCSC 1399. In Tang, the plaintiffs sought a variation of their mother’s will, which failed to treat her five children equally.

One of the plaintiffs (Linda) also brought a claim in unjust enrichment with respect to her work at her parents’ grocery store between 1971 and 1981. She described her assistance to her parents as “extraordinary efforts.”

The family came to Vancouver in the 1960s, when the children ranged in age from eight to 17. The family (parents and children) worked extremely hard to improve their standard of life. The Court described their work ethic as “remarkable”. The parents purchased a small grocery store with an attached home and the family moved there in 1971. All of the children except one worked part-time at the store until it was sold in 1981. None of them were paid for their work. The children also worked various other jobs, and contributed their paycheques to the “family pot” of income to pay expenses. The children received pocket money, vehicles to commute to school, and payment of most of their living and school expenses.

Linda argued that she was a pivotal figure in the success of the grocery store business. The Court held that while Linda may have made significant contribution to the store (which at times may have been greater than the contribution of her younger siblings), she tended to exaggerate the scope and scale of her contribution, while minimizing the contributions of her siblings.

The Court had to consider whether Linda’s historic contributions to the family business constituted unjust enrichment. In order to satisfy the requirements for a claim in unjust enrichment, a plaintiff must show: (1) an enrichment of the defendant (in this case her mother/her mother’s estate), (2) a corresponding deprivation of the plaintiff, and (3) an absence of juristic reason for the enrichment.

A claim in unjust enrichment can be difficult to establish in the context of a family business, as there will often be mutual benefits to family members as they function as a common unit. This was the case in Tang. The Court concluded that while the contributions by the children (and in particular Linda) may have been significant (i.e. there was enrichment), the benefits to the children (housing, food, other amenities, etc…) were also significant. As a result, Linda failed to establish a legal claim against her mother’s estate for unjust enrichment.

Linda did have a moral claim to a portion of the estate, as did her siblings, as a result of their contributions to the family business and the common family unit. However, she did not have a legal claim in unjust enrichment distinct from that of her siblings.

The deceased left an estate which included real property assessed at approximately $1.7M, and personal property (bank and investment accounts) worth approximately $775,000. Her will left her real property to two of her children (neither of which was Linda) who provided a greater degree of care in the last three years of her life. The will divided her personal property equally between her five children.

The Court varied the Will to order specific gifts of $300,000 to each of the children who provided care in the three years of the deceased’s life, with the remainder of be divided equally between the five children. This would recognize the contributions of the children when the family was a joint economic unit (which included the acquisition of the real property), but also take into account the “significant sacrifices” made by the of the two children who provided end of life care.

Appeal of B.C. Wills Variation Judgment Results in Equal Treatment of Children

May 7, 2021

Just over a year ago, I wrote about the decision of the B.C. Supreme Court in Scurek v Scurek 2020 BCSC 450.  In that case, the Court considered whether a testator could discharge his moral obligation to his adult daughter by benefiting her sons instead of her. In other words, can you “skip” a generation, and leave your estate (or some part of it) to your grandchildren instead of your children?  My previous post can be found here:  https://www.bcestatelitigation.ca/wills-variation/skipping-your-children-and-leaving-your-estate-to-your-grandchildren-the-court-may-vary-your-will/

In Scurek, the deceased had two adult children, a son and a daughter. His daughter (the plaintiff) had two sons, the deceased’s grandchildren.  Rather than dividing his estate equally between his two children, the deceased decided to leave one half of his estate to his son, and the other half of his estate to his daughter and her two sons in equal shares.  As a result, the daughter received a 1/6 share instead of a 1/2 share

The trial judge varied the will to provide as follows: ½ to the plaintiff, 2/6 to the brother, and 1/12 to each grandchild.

Last week, the B.C. Court of Appeal allowed the brother’s appeal of this decision, in Scurek v. Scurek 2021 BCCA 178.

The Court of Appeal observed that while wills variation claims by adult independent children are challenging, they had no difficulty concluding that the will did not provide adequately for the plaintiff.  Some variation was required.  However, the Court held that the trial judge should not have varied the will such that the plaintiff would receive more than her brother.  This would impinge upon the testator’s autonomy to an unnecessary degree.

Instead, each of the grandchildren was to receive a 1/12 share (as awarded by the trial judge), and then the plaintiff and her brother were to receive equal shares of the remainder (i.e. 5/12 each).  This result is consistent with a reasonable expectation that children ought to share equally in a parent’s estate.  However, it should be kept in mind that there is no requirement that children be treated equally.  A court will not necessarily vary a will to remedy unequal treatment of children.  Again, every wills variation case must be decided on its own unique set of facts.

Case Comment: B.C. Court Dismisses Attempt by Estranged Spouse to Set Aside Property Transfer and Vary Will

January 22, 2021

I am often contacted by executors or beneficiaries of an estate when they have been served with what they consider to be a “nuisance claim”. Unfortunately, the death of a loved one may present an opportunity for others to bring unmeritorious claims. The estate may be large enough to attract claims that should never have been made, and the person who would have the best evidence to oppose the claims (the deceased person) is dead.

A typical example is someone surfacing and claiming to be the deceased’s spouse for the purpose of bringing a wills variation claim or other claim. This person may be a former spouse of the deceased, a casual romantic partner, a roommate, or even a stranger. I have previously written about the test to determine whether someone has standing as a “spouse” to bring a wills variation claim here.

The B.C. Supreme Court recently dismissed a dubious claim by a person claiming to be a current spouse of the deceased (but was found not to be one) in Lee v. Chau 2021 BCSC 70. In Lee, the deceased transferred his real property into joint tenancy with his adult children as joint tenants. His children said that he intended the transfer to be a gift, that their father’s relationship with the plaintiff ended many years before, and their marriage was a sham. The plaintiff argued that she was the deceased’s wife for 19 years. She claimed that the defendants held the property in resulting trust for her benefit, and she also sought to vary the deceased’s will to make provision for her.

The Will included the following rather scathing clause explaining why the deceased made no provision for the plaintiff:

“I am giving nothing to NU LEE [the plaintiff] whom I married on May 30, 1995, as although we were married, she refused to consummate our marriage or live with me as husband and wife and on March 1, 1996, she left me and returned to Taiwan, China and has not returned. I believe that she married me for the sole purpose of facilitating her entry into Canada as a landed immigrant. She has never and refused to consummate our marriage and we have at no time lived together as husband and wife relationship”.

The Court concluded that the deceased understood the effect of transferring property into joint tenancy, and that by doing so he intended to gift his property to his children. The Court gave clear indication that it did not think much of the plaintiff’s attempt to claim an interest in the property. In addition to quoting the above passage from the will, they relied upon the following evidence that the plaintiff was estranged from the deceased:

  • The plaintiff’s extended absence from the property for many years before the deceased’s death;
  • Her full-­time residence outside Canada for more than three years before his death;
  • Her ignorance of his terminal illness;
  • Their lack of contact immediately before his death, and
  • The fact that he died without her knowledge.

The Court also held that the plaintiff was not the “spouse” of the deceased at the date of death, and therefore did not have standing to bring a wills variation claim. The plaintiff was ordered to pay the defendants’ costs. While the Court did not use the words “nuisance claim” or say that the claim was a frivolous or vexatious one, the judge was clearly not impressed by the plaintiff’s attempts to come back and try to make a claim against the property and the deceased’s estate.  This decision confirms that the B.C. Courts are fully prepared to dismiss claims that they consider to be without merit.

What Rights do Disinherited Stepchildren have in British Columbia?

November 12, 2020

Blended families, second (or third or fourth) marriages, and stepchildren are now a common occurrence. Estate planning for blended families with stepchildren is a delicate issue, and the source of many estate litigation disputes.

For example, we often see the following scenario: A will-maker has children from a first marriage. The children are now independent adults. The will-maker re-marries. He makes a will leaving everything or substantially everything to his new spouse. The new spouse promises to make a will leaving what is left upon her death to the will-maker’s children. What rights do the children have, and when should they assert them?

There are a number of potential issues here.

First, if a will-maker in British Columbia fails to make adequate provision for the proper maintenance and support of the will-maker’s spouse or child, the spouse or child may bring a claim to vary the will. However, a “child” does not include a stepchild who has not been formally adopted. As a result, the children in the above scenario could apply to vary their father’s will, but they would not be able to wait and bring a claim to vary their stepmother’s will after her death.

What about the stepmother’s promise that she would make a will leaving everything to her husband’s children? Can the children rely upon that promise as the basis of a claim?

The children may have a remedy if their father and their stepmother made “mutual wills”. When two persons agree to make mutual wills, they agree that once the wills are made that no changes may be made by either party without the other party’s consent, and when one person dies the surviving party cannot change the disposition made in their will. The fact that the father and stepmother had identical wills at the time of the father’s death (which would be “mirror wills” ) is not enough. There must be clear and unequivocal evidence of an enforceable agreement between the parties that the survivor cannot not change their will after the death of the first person.

If the parties did not have “mutual wills”, and the stepmother has simply made a promise to make a will leaving her estate to the children upon her death, then the children may still have a remedy. If the children rely upon the stepmother’s promise and as a result agree not to bring a wills variation claim in relation to their father’s estate (because they will eventually receive the assets any event), then the court may find that there was an enforceable agreement between the parties, or that the children are otherwise entitled to enforcement of the stepmother’s promise.

All of this may be further complicated if the stepmother has her own children, mixes the father’s estate with her own assets, or spends or gifts away the father’s assets during her lifetime, and so the children may be better off making a wills variation claim at the time of their father’s death to avoid the future uncertainty and risk.  A child in this situation will want to carefully consider their rights (and strongly consider obtaining legal advice) at the time of their parent’s death, rather than waiting until the stepparent’s death.

Skipping your Children and Leaving your Estate to your Grandchildren? The Court may vary your Will

May 5, 2020

A parent often worries about their children fighting over their estate after their death.  Parents seek ways to avoid conflicts between their children after their passing, while at the same time maintaining the testamentary autonomy to dispose of their estate as they see fit.  It may seem attractive to skip a generation, and leave your estate to your grandchildren, in the hopes of avoiding conflict between your children. There may be other reasons to benefit your grandchildren.  You may have better, less complicated relationships with them.  Grandchildren may also have greater financial need to establish themselves.

However, issues (and claims) still arise. What if one of your children has more grandchildren then the other children?  Does each grandchild get an equal amount, or does each “branch” of grandchildren divide the same amount equally?  Can you provide a greater benefit to your “favorite” grandchild?  What if one child doesn’t have any children?  What if you have already provided gifts or other benefits (for example, payment of tuition) to some of the grandchildren during your lifetime, but they others?

In B.C. there is another complication: the ability of children (and spouses) to bring wills variation claims. A spouse or child of a deceased person may bring an action to vary the deceased person’s will if it does not make adequate provision for the proper maintenance and support of the spouse or child.  A grandchild does not have standing to vary a will. They will have to be happy with what you decide to give them (subject to the will being varied to reduce their bequest as a result of a wills variation claim by someone who does have standing).

In Scurek v. Scurek 2020 BCSC 450, the Court recently considered whether a testator can discharge his moral obligation to his adult daughter by benefiting her sons at her expense. The deceased had two adult children, a son and a daughter. His daughter (the plaintiff) had two sons, the deceased’s grandchildren.  The plaintiff daughter had no significant assets, and was disabled and unemployable.

Rather than dividing his estate equally between his two children, the deceased decided to leave one half of his estate to his son, and the other half of his estate to his daughter and her two sons in equal shares.  As a result, the daughter received a 1/6 share instead of a 1/2 share.  The estate was worth approximately $1.6M. The plaintiff sought to increase her share of the estate at the expense of her brother’s share. Her position was that her sons’ shares should not be touched. Her brother argued that the will should not be varied, because it reflected a notional equal distribution to the deceased’s son and daughter, but also reflected a concern that if one half of the estate were given to the daughter, it would be wasted due to her inability to manage money, given her past history, thus leaving the grandsons with no benefit.

The judge held that the deceased could not discharge his moral obligation to his child by benefiting her children at her expense. The fact that one-third of the estate was allocated to the plaintiff’s sons “is of no material benefit to her” and her sons “are not obligated to support her, and they can be expected to prioritize their own needs”.  The deceased’s alleged concern that the plaintiff would waste her share of the estate was speculation. Even if it was established that the deceased had this concern, it was unfair and deserved little weight. The plaintiff was a hard worker, who had not been fortunate in financial matters.

As a result, the Court varied the will to provide as follows: ½ to plaintiff, 2/6 to the brother, and 1/12 to each grandchild.

Wills variation claims are fact specific. While a will-maker can certainly make provision for grandchildren, a deliberate attempt to skip over children and provide “their share” to their children (the grandchildren) may result in a variation of the will in favor of that disinherited child.