What I’m Reading: Interesting Estate Litigation Articles for September 2022

Posted on by James Zaitsoff

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

  1. Stan Rule at Sabey Rule comments on a recent B.C. decision on disgorgement – awarding profits to beneficiaries when a trustee or other fiduciary profits from a breach of their obligations: http://rulelaw.blogspot.com/2022/09/chung-v-chung.html
  2. Dairen Murray at Hull & Hull LLP (in Ontario) writes on making reasonable efforts to locate a will when a loved one has died: https://hullandhull.com/Knowledge/2022/09/where-to-look-for-a-will/
  3. Albert Oosterhoff at WEL Partners (Toronto) posts on the determination of whether a gift of real property for a limited time is a licence or a life estate: https://welpartners.com/blog/2022/10/life-estate-or-licence-a-continuing-conundrum/
  4. Karen Watters at de Vries Litigation LLP (in Ontario) writes on undue influence in inter vivos transfers: https://devrieslitigation.com/undue-influence-in-inter-vivos-transfers/
  5. Aanchal Bajaj, also at Hull & Hull LLP (in Ontario), comments on a recent Ontario decision on the issue of the treatment of a beneficiary designation for an RRSP when the account was converted to an RRIF (a reminder to update beneficiary designations if converting!): https://hullandhull.com/Knowledge/2022/09/what-is-the-requirement-for-the-designation-of-income-funds-to-beneficiaries/
  6. Of note to lawyers, James Steele at Robertson Stromberg (Saskatchewan) writes about a recent Saskatchewan decision which prohibits the practice of altering an affidavit (“slip-sheeting”) after it has been sworn.  The affidavit must be re-sworn: https://skestatelaw.ca/2022/09/08/saskatchewan-estate-litigation-update-peters-estate-re-2022-skqb-186/
  7. CBC reports on Western University asking the Ontario courts for permission to remove the name of a professor from six academic prizes funded by his estate, following criticism that he espoused radical, racist views: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/kenneth-hilborn-western-university-scholarship-1.6573668

Happy reading!

B.C. Case Comment: Vagueness in Will Invites (Unsuccessful) Challenge to Charitable Bequest

Posted on by James Zaitsoff

When making a will, you must take care to make sure that your intentions are clearly expressed and not left open for interpretation.  When a will is unclear or uncertain, this provides an opportunity for a disappointed beneficiary to (1) argue an interpretation which favors them over another party, or (2) argue that the will or some part of it is fatally uncertain and therefore void.

The more complicated that you make a will, the more likely these issues may arise.  These arguments tend to occur more in certain circumstances including:

  1. When a deceased decides to include a power of appointment – a power given to a person to select who shall receive an interest in property (instead of deciding who will receive the property and simply making a bequest to that person in your will); or
  2. When there is uncertainty with respect to a charitable bequest.

Both of these circumstances were present in the recent B.C. Supreme Court decision in Royal Trust Corporation Of Canada v. The Welfare Institution Of The Jews Of Athens 2022 BCSC 1454.

In her 1985 will, the deceased set up a trust for her daughter, to pay her the interest “as long as she shall live.”  The deceased further provided in her will:

If my daughter shall by her Last Will and Testament appoint sum [sic] reasonable charity within the country of Greece for such funds they shall be delivered in accordance with the directions made in such Last Will and Testament of my said daughter.

And further:

If my said daughter shall fail to so designate and appoint by her Last Will and Testament then such money shall be paid to the President for the time being of Estia of Constaninopolis, Artistiduu 7, Kolonike, Ahtens, Greece.

“Estia of Constantinipolis” is a non-profit association in Greece that operates nursing homes near Athens, Greece.

In other words, the deceased’s daughter could decide what charity she wanted to receive the rest of her trust fund after she died (the power of appointment), or the default would be Estia of Constantinipolis.

The daughter made a will in Greece in 2017, in which she explicitly exercised the power of appointment, by appointing The Welfare Institution of the Jews of Athens, dab Reston Elderly Care Centre as the beneficiary.  Then, the daughter made a will in Switzerland in 2018, in which she revoked the 2017 will, and left her entire estate to one person.  She failed to appoint a charity in Greece as the beneficiary of the trust property (i.e. she failed to exercise the power of appointment).

The trust property was approximately $500,000, and the issue was who receives it.

First, it was argued that the power of appointment was invalid.  The Court held that it was valid.  The Court then held that the 2017 will (which appointed a charity) was revoked by the 2018 Will (which didn’t appoint a charity).  As a result, the power of appointment had not been exercised, and so the default “Estia of Constantinipolis” would, on its face, receive the monies.

Next, it was argued that the Estia charity could not receive the gift because:

  1. The gift is to the President of Estia personally, or to his office on behalf of Estia;
  2. If the gift is to the President personally, it was unclear whether it was to the President in office at the time of the 1985 will (who was now dead – so the gift would have failed), or the president currently in office; or
  3. If the gift is to the current President by virtue of his office, and such is held in trust on behalf of the charity, the gift also fails because Greek law does not recognize trusts.

The Court did not accept any of these arguments.  The Court had “no hesitation” concluding that the deceased intended to make the gift to the charity.  There was no evidence that she had any relationship with the individual who was the president of Estia.  It logically followed that it was the charity, not the person, who was the intended beneficiary.

While the Court did not appear to have any difficulty interpreting the will, it is likely that the proceedings could have been avoided had the will and the power of appointment been more clearly drafted (or perhaps if no power of appointment had been included at all, and the deceased had simply named the charitable beneficiary in her will).

By drafting the will in the manner that she did, it permitted a disappointed beneficiary the opportunity to argue for an interpretation that would benefit them.  While the arguments were ultimately unsuccessful in this particular case, in some cases this may result in an interpretation that is not consistent with the deceased’s intentions, and in all cases will result in unnecessary expense to the estate.

Equitable Claims: Remedies when you expected to inherit but you didn’t

Posted on by James Zaitsoff

What if you expect to inherit something from someone’s estate, and when they die you discover that you were mistaken? What if you have acted to your detriment based on this expectation?

This seems to occur frequently in the case of farm properties. Someone works on a farm for little or no compensation, with an expectation that they will inherit the farm upon the owner’s death. Then, the owner leaves the farm to someone else.

It is always risky to provide services based upon an expectation, without setting the terms of the agreement or arrangement out in writing.  However, if the parties do not have a written agreement, the party who has provided services based upon an expectation to inherit, but has not ended up receiving the farm, may have potential remedies. A person in this situation may bring certain claims, including claims in:

  1. Proprietary estoppel;
  2. Unjust enrichment; and
  3. Breach of contract.

Proprietary Estoppel:

Proprietary estoppel is an equitable doctrine which enforces a promise that would not otherwise be enforced under the law. In order for proprietary estoppel to be available, the following three conditions must be present:

  1. A representation or assurance is made to the claimant, on the basis of which the claimant expects to enjoy some right or benefit over property;
  2. The claimant relies on that expectation by doing something, and that reliance is reasonable in all the circumstances; and
  3. The claimant suffers a detriment as a result of this reasonable reliance, such that it would be unfair or unjust for the party responsible for the representation or assurance to go back on their word.

There must be a promise one might reasonably expect to be replied upon by the person to whom it was made.

If these conditions are met and there is an equity which needs to be recognized, then the court must craft a remedy to do justice between the parties.

Unjust Enrichment:

Unjust enrichment is another equitable doctrine. A claimant must establish three elements:

  1. The respondent was enriched;
  2. The claimant suffered a corresponding deprivation; and
  3. The respondent’s enrichment and the claimant’s corresponding deprivation occurred in the absence of a juristic reason.

Breach of Contract:

Parties may enter into an agreement with a term requiring one party to make a will to the other party.  As long as the other elements of a contract are present (i.e. offer, acceptance, consideration, etc…), this type of agreement is enforceable in B.C. Further, the party expecting to benefit from such an agreement does not have to wait until the other party’s death before commencing an action, if the beneficiary becomes aware that the other party no longer intends to abide by the terms of the agreement. I previously wrote about a recent B.C. case on this issue, found here.

Recent B.C. Case – Party Expecting to Inherit Farm does not Receive it:

The B.C. Supreme Court recently considered a claim to a farm on the basis of proprietary estoppel and unjust enrichment in Kennedy v Marcotte Estate 2022 BCSC 1486.

In Kennedy, the plaintiff thought he would inherit the deceased’s farm for much of his life. The plaintiff’s family had been friends with the deceased for many years (the deceased never married, and did not have any children of his own). The plaintiff was a commercial fisherman, but when he was not fishing he would assist the deceased at the farm.

The deceased made comments which the plaintiff understood to mean that the farm would be his after the deceased’s death. However, the deceased in fact left the will to a neighbour and close friend. The plaintiff found out about this while the deceased was still alive. He tried to convince the deceased to change his will, but this did not happen.

With respect to the claim in proprietary estoppel, the plaintiff relied upon various representations which he said gave him an expectation that he would inherit the farm:

  • In the 1970s, the plaintiff’s mother told him that the deceased put the farm in the names of the plaintiff and his three siblings;
  • From 1979-2004, annually, the deceased said that anybody who works on the deceased’s farm will get a piece one day;
  • From 1980-2000 (every two years), the deceased mentioned a man who inherited a farm from a woman who willed the property to him as an expression of gratitude for the work he did on the farm;
  • In 2004, the deceased said that he was changing his will to provide that one individual will inherit the farm (the plaintiff wrongly assumed that this person was him);
  • 2004-2018 (yearly), the deceased says that he hopes that the plaintiff is ready “to fight for the farm one day”; and
  • 2015 or 2018, Mr. Marcotte made a non-verbal gesture (pointing) with a friend which suggested that the plaintiff would inherit the farm.

The court accepted that the above representations were made, and that the plaintiff interpreted them to mean that the deceased would give the farm or part of it to the plaintiff in his will. The court also found that the plaintiff took action motivated partly upon his reliance on these representations, by working on the farm, and refraining from seeking formal paid employment when he was working on the farm.

However, the fundamental question was whether the plaintiff’s reliance on the representations was reasonable. The court held that his reliance was not reasonable. None of the representations were unambiguous or “clear enough” to communicate an assurance that if the plaintiff worked for the deceased while he was not fishing, he would inherit all or part of the farm. The court referred to several other cases of proprietary estoppel and inheriting farms, where the representations were much more unambiguous.

The claim in unjust enrichment also failed. The plaintiff established that his unpaid labor was a benefit to the deceased, and that the plaintiff suffered a corresponding deprivation. However, the claim failed on third element, in that the plaintiff failed to show a lack of juristic reason for the enrichment. The juristic reason was “[the plaintiff’s] donative intention to gift his labour to Mr. Marcotte as a long-time friend, just as his father and others had done over the years.” He did not expect to be paid, although he appreciated the payments and other benefits that were provided by the deceased to express his gratitude for the assistance.

This case is an important reminder of why you should always reduce agreements of this nature to writing. If you have expectations based on representations, the representations must be clear and unambiguous, and you must be reasonable in your reliance on them. The court in Kennedy accepted that from 1979 until 2018, during the months that the plaintiff was not away fishing, he was working on the farm approximately four to six days a week, for several hours each day. However, he was not entitled to anything for this.

What I’m Reading: Interesting Estate Litigation Articles for August 2022

Posted on by James Zaitsoff

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

  1. I was asked to provide comments for a recent article in Investment Executive: Disinherited children win big in Alberta and B.C. courts  | Investment Executive
  2. This month, the lawyers at Hull & Hull LLP (in Ontario) posted several articles on settlement in the estate litigation context, including these two articles on the requisite elements of a settlement agreement, and enforcement of settlement agreements: H&H | The Requisite Elements of a Binding Settlement (hullandhull.com) and H&H | A Deal is a Deal: Enforcing a Settlement Agreement (hullandhull.com)
  3. Brett Book at WEL Partners (Toronto) wrote on the capacity to marry: Capacity to Marry – Tanti v. Tanti | WEL Partners Blog
  4. CBC News recently published an investigative report on a case of elder abuse: ‘Who can you trust?’ (cbc.ca)

Happy reading!

BC Case Comment – UPDATE: On Appeal, Surviving Business Owner Still not Entitled to Receive Partnership Property by Right of Survivorship

Posted on by James Zaitsoff

Estate litigation issues do not just arise as between family members of the deceased (although that is most common).  A death may also result in disputes with respect to the deceased’s business dealings and partnership holdings.  This is why a fulsome estate plan that addresses all interests, personal and business, is key.

In a previous post found here, I discussed what happens when your business partner dies, in particular when the assets of the business are held jointly.  I considered this in the context of the decision of the B.C. Supreme Court in Garland v. Newhouse 2021 BCSC 2021.

A fundamental characteristic of joint tenancy (i.e. registering assets in joint names) is the right of survivorship. When one joint tenant dies, their interest is extinguished, and the surviving joint tenant(s) take full ownership. For example, spouses often register title to their property in joint tenancy, so that the surviving spouse will receive the entirety of the property upon the other spouse’s death. This is accepted as a permissible estate planning tool.

However, where the property at issue is partnership property, there is a presumption that there is no right of survivorship as between partners. The death of a partner in a two-person partnership dissolves the partnership, and on dissolution each partner (including the estate of the deceased’s partner) is entitled to a proportionate share of the partnership assets after payment of debts.

In Garland, the deceased and the spouse of his close friend (“Ms. Newhouse”) purchased an apartment building together in 2003, with the intention of earning a profit from the rental income. They also opened an account to manage the finances associated with the apartment building. The building and the account were both registered in their joint names.

When the deceased died, Ms. Newhouse took the position that the deceased intended for her to receive the apartment building and account through right of survivorship. The deceased’s estate took the position that the deceased intended for the beneficiaries of his estate (his children) to receive his share of the business assets.

The matter proceeded to court by way of summary trial, in which there are no live witnesses, and the court determines the matter based only on affidavit evidence and argument by the parties.   The B.C. Supreme Court stated that in order for the right of survivorship to apply to partnership assets, “there must be evidence of a contrary agreement between the parties that is sufficiently clear and compelling to overcome the presumption that beneficial interest in partnership property does not transfer through the right of survivorship.”  The Court held that Ms. Newhouse was unable to provide this evidence.  The Court concluded that the parties did not intend and agree that on the death of one partner, the partnership property would transfer to the surviving partner for their personal benefit.

Ms. Newhouse failed to rebut the presumption against the right of survivorship in relation to the partnership property, and as a result she held legal title of the apartment building and the bank account in trust for herself and the deceased’s estate.

Ms. Newhouse appealed, and the B.C. Court of Appeal recently provided its decision, which can be found at Newhouse v. Garland 2022 BCCA 276.

A majority of the B.C. Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding that:

  1. The lower court judge did not apply an incorrect legal test.  Ms. Newhouse argued that the lower court judge applied a higher legal burden, but the Court of Appeal disagreed.  They held that the lower court judge properly assessed whether the presumption had been rebutted, on a balance of probabilities, which was the appropriate standard;
  2. The lower court judge did not make a clear and overriding factual error, such as misapprehending the evidence, ignoring material evidence, or drawing inferences unsupported by primary facts.  While some judges may have made different findings, it is not the role of the Court of Appeal to reweigh the evidence and substitute their own findings; and
  3. The lower court judge did not err in exercising her discretion to proceed by way of summary trial instead of requiring a full trial with live witnesses.

The result reflects the role of the Court of Appeal.  The Court of Appeal does not simply re-hear cases and substitute their own decision.  The Court of Appeal may only interfere if there is a legal error, a clear and material factual error, or an error in the exercise of discretion.

One of the three-judge panel would have allowed the appeal, and delivered lengthy dissent reasons.  The judge would have referred the matter back to the B.C. Supreme Court for a full trial.  In the dissenting reasons, the judge notes the difficulties in determining these claims.  The dispute arises after the death of one of the partners, and so one of the parties to the original agreement will always be unavailable to give first-hand evidence.  The surviving partner will have an interest in the result, and so their evidence must be viewed with some caution.

It remains the case (as I noted in my previous post) that it is important to keep in mind business and partnership interests when making your estate plan.  Again, this this dispute likely could have been avoided if there was a written agreement reflecting the terms of the arrangement between the parties.

BC Case Comment – UPDATE: Plaintiff not a “Spouse” Entitled to Share of Estate – Denied Leave to Appeal to Supreme Court of Canada

Posted on by James Zaitsoff

I previously wrote about the B.C. Court of Appeal decision of Mother 1 v. Solus Trust Company Limited 2021 BCCA  461, in which “Mother 1” asked the Court of Appeal to overturn a decision by the B.C. Supreme Court that she was not a “spouse” of the deceased.  My post on the B.C. Court of Appeal decision can be found here.

The deceased died in 2015 without a will. His Canadian estate was estimated to be worth up to $21 million.  The B.C. Supreme Court held that Mother 1 was not a spouse, and so she was not entitled to a share of the deceased’s estate on an intestacy.  The B.C. Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal, concluding that the parties were never in a marriage-like relationship.

Mother 1 sought leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.

A party who is unsuccessful in the Court of Appeal does not have an automatic right to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.  The Supreme Court of Canada must agree to hear the appeal (it must grant leave).  The mandate of the Supreme Court of Canada is to deal with issues of law that are of public importance or of such a nature or significance as to warrant a decision from the Court.  They do not simply hear cases because one side believes that the Court of Appeal was wrong – there must be some national importance.

The Supreme Court of Canada recently dismissed Mother 1’s application for leave, which means that Mother 1 has exhausted her avenues of appeal with respect to this claim.  As is their usual practice, the Supreme Court of Canada did not give reasons for the dismissal.

Due to the salacious circumstances surrounding the death of the deceased, this decision to deny leave (and previous decisions in the case) resulted in some media attention, for example: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/supreme-court-murdered-multimillionaire-spouse-decision-1.6541276

Executor Relies Upon Presumption of Due Execution to Prove Validity of Will

Posted on by James Zaitsoff

When there is a challenge to the validity of a will on the basis that (1) the will-maker lacked testamentary capacity, or (2) the will-maker did not have knowledge and approval of the contents of the will, the person seeking to prove the validity of the will (the “propounder”) is assisted by the presumption of due execution.

The presumption of due execution provides that if a will is properly executed in compliance with the Wills, Estates and Succession Act (“WESA“), then it is presumed that the will-maker had knowledge and approval and testamentary capacity, subject to evidence of suspicious circumstances.  It then falls on the person challenging the validity of the will to rebut the presumption.

Section 37(1) of WESA sets out the formalities for making a will:

How to make a valid will

37   (1) To be valid, a will must be

(a) in writing,

(b) signed at its end by the will-maker, or the signature at the end must be acknowledged by the will-maker as the will-maker’s signature, in the presence of 2 or more witnesses present at the same time, and

(c) signed by 2 or more of the witnesses in the presence of the will-maker…

If the will has been validly executed, then the propounder can seek to rely upon the presumption.

The importance of the presumption of due exectuion is illustrated by the recent decision of the B.C. Supreme Court in Grace Estate (Re) 2022 BCSC 1283.

In Grace, the deceased’s father was named as executor in the will.  The deceased’s mother challenged the validity of the will, arguing that the deceased (her daughter) did not read or know the contents of the will before signing it, that she signed the will under suspicious circumstances, and that she may have lacked capacity.

At the first hearing, the court held that there was not sufficient evidence to prove that the will was read by or to the deceased.  That meant there was no presumption of testamentary capacity (another presumption available to the propounder of a will), and the father must prove both that the deceased had capacity, and that she knew and approved of the contents of the will.  The father had failed to prove the will in solemn form by way of application (on affidavit evidence), and the matter was referred to the trial list for proof in solemn form.

However, neither counsel at the first hearing advised the court of the cases discussing the presumption of due execution.  In light of those cases, the father applied for a reconsideration of the original decision.  The order arising from the original decision had not yet been entered, which meant that the original judge could hear further submissions.  The father argued (and the court agreed) that had case authorities on the presumption of due execution been brought to the court’s attention, they would have substantially altered the result.

The court exercised its discretion to reconsider its decision, and concluded that the father has the benefit of the presumption of due execution, and has proven the will in solemn form.  The will had been validly executed in compliance with WESA, and so the facts gave rise to a rebuttable presumption that the deceased knew and approved the contents of the will.  There were no suspicious circumstances.  The mother swore in her affidavit that she asked her daughter whether she had read the will, and her daughter had said “no”.  However, this was not sufficient to rebut the presumption (and was inconsistent with all of the other evidence surrounding the deceased’s intentions)

What I’m Reading: Interesting Estate Litigation Articles for July 2022

Posted on by James Zaitsoff

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

  1. Stan Rule at Sabey Rule LLP (Kelowna) and Albert Oosterhoff at WEL Partners (Toronto) both discuss a recent Supreme Court of Canada decision which concluded that taxpayers could not rely upon equitable rescission of transactions to avoid unintended tax consequences: Rule of Law: Collins Family Trust (rulelaw.blogspot.com) and Rescission Not Possible to Avoid Adverse Tax Consequences | WEL Partners Blog
  2. This month, lawyers at at Hull & Hull LLP (Ontario) posted various articles about digital assets and death, including: https://hullandhull.com/Knowledge/2022/07/digital-assets-planning-considerations-for-the-drafting-solicitor/, https://hullandhull.com/Knowledge/2022/07/digital-assets-are-we-keeping-pace/ and https://hullandhull.com/Knowledge/2022/07/apple-digital-legacy/
  3. James Steele at Robertson Stromberg (Saskatchewan) discusses a recent decision of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal which serves as yet another reminder to put something in writing when you add a family member on title to your property (in this case, a parent adding a child to title), so that your intentions are clear: Saskatchewan Estate Litigation Update: Martin v Martin, 2022 SKCA 79 | Saskatchewan Estate Law Blog (skestatelaw.ca)

Happy reading!

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

Posted on by James Zaitsoff

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: B.C. Court of Appeal Again Considers Whether a Claimant has Standing as a “Spouse”

Posted on by James Zaitsoff

When a person dies without a will and has no descendants, their spouse inherits their estate.  In order to benefit, a claimant must establish that they are indeed a “spouse.”  I continue to frequently see cases in which a person’s standing as a “spouse” is in dispute and is one of the key issues in the litigation.  This is relevant on an intestacy (dying with no will), and also for wills variation claims, which can only be brought by children and “spouses.”  This was one of the first issues that I wrote about when I started this blog, found here.  I have also wrote about it here.

The B.C. Court of Appeal recently considered this issue again in Coad v. Lariviere 2022 BCCA 222.

In Coad, the Court considered an appeal by a “spouse” from an order that the deceased died intestate and without a spouse, leaving her mother as the sole beneficiary.  The plaintiff was living in the same home as the deceased when she died, and he claimed to be in a marriage-like relationship with her at the time of her death.  The deceased’s ex-husband obtained a grant of administration with respect to a will dated August 11, 2011, while the plaintiff received a grant of administration based on an intestacy (on the assumption that he was a spouse).  The orders were in conflict.

The trial judge concluded that the deceased died intestate, but that the plaintiff was not in a marriage-like relationship with the deceased.  As a result, the deceased’s mother was the sole beneficiary of the deceased’s estate.  The plaintiff appealed the order.

A “spouse” is defined in s. 2 of the WIlls, Estates and Succession Act as follows:

2 (1) Unless subsection (2) applies, 2 persons are spouses of each other for the purposes of this Act if they were both alive immediately before a relevant time and

(a) they were married to each other, or

(b) they had lived with each other in a marriage-like relationship for at least 2 years.

(2) Two persons cease being spouses of each other for the purposes of this Act if,

(a) in the case of a 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, or

(b) in the case of a marriage-like relationship, one or both persons terminate the relationship.

(2.1) For the purposes of this Act, spouses are not considered to have separated if, within one year after separation,

(a) they begin to live together again and the primary purpose for doing so is to reconcile, and

(b) they continue to live together for one or more periods, totalling at least 90 days.

(3) A relevant time for the purposes of subsection (1) is the date of death of one of the persons unless this Act specifies another time as the relevant time.

There is no specific definition of when a marriage-like relationship exists.  The presence or absence of any particular factor cannot be determinative of whether a relationship is “marriage-like.”  There is no checklist of characteristics that will invariably be found in all marriages .  While the parties’ intentions may be important, objective evidence will also provide guidance as to whether a relationship was “marriage-like”.  Spousal relationships are many and varied.

Whether people are in a marriage-like relationship is a question of mixed fact and law, and the decision of a trial judge is entitled to deference.

The Court of Appeal held that the trial judge did not take a contextual and holistic approach, and instead applied a “checklist.”  He also placed undue emphasis on the fact that the plaintiff and the deceased did not engage in sexual relations.  The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, and made an order that the plaintiff was in a marriage-like relationship with the deceased (i.e. was a “spouse”) and therefore received the estate.

As these claims are so fact-specific, and the result is “all or nothing” depending upon whether the claimant is a “spouse”, we can expect to continue to see this issue making its way before the courts.