What I’m Reading: Interesting Estate Litigation Articles for November 2020

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

1. Trevor Todd at disinherited.com observes that one of the top reasons for disinheritance of a child is alleged estrangement, and he considers various B.C. cases on this issue: https://disinherited.com/uncategorized/wills-variation-overcoming-estrangement/

2. Janis Ko at Onyx Law provides a case comment which also deals with the issue of alleged estrangement of a child leading to disinheritance: https://onyxlaw.ca/spite-not-a-valid-and-rational-reason-to-disinherit-a-child/

3. The court will sometimes uphold the disinheritance of an estranged child, as Janis Ko at Onyx Law observes in a case comment found here: https://onyxlaw.ca/bc-court-finds-father-had-good-reason-to-disinherit-two-sons/

4. Stan Rule provides a useful and detailed discussion of some of the issues to be considered when granting a power of attorney: http://rulelaw.blogspot.com/2020/11/powers-of-attorney-consider-allowing.html

5. In advance of U.S election, Paul Trudelle at Hull & Hull LLP (in Ontario) considered the issue of whether an attorney under a power of attorney can vote on behalf of the grantor: https://hullandhull.com/2020/11/voting-and-powers-of-attorney/

6. Polly Storey at Clark Wilson provides a detailed update on medical assistance in dying (“MAID”) in Canada: https://www.cwilson.com/medical-assistance-in-dying-a-step-forward-in-ottawa/

7. Finally, Suzana Popovic-Montag and Tori Joseph at Hull & Hull LLP (Ontario) also provide an update on MAID, and go on to discuss the difficulty of accessing these services during the Covid-19 pandemic: https://hullandhull.com/2020/11/maid-accessibility/

Happy Reading!