For families with a loved one receiving disability assistance, an inheritance can have unintended and damaging consequences. A well-intentioned gift can disrupt eligibility for essential government benefits, often outweighing any short-term financial gain.
Curated Content Family Disputes

Cautionary Tale: Estate Planning for a Loved One With a Disability

  • June 25, 2025
  • 2 minutes read
Are you planning to leave real estate to a loved one under your Will? Do you want that property to be transferred free of debt or other claims? Language matters!
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Navigating Bequests of Real Estate: Language Matters!

  • August 8, 2025
  • 1 minute read
If you’re between 35 and 65, chances are you know someone who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. It’s a tough reality, but if there’s still time, helping them get their estate in order can provide peace of mind for them and their loved ones.
Curated Content Related Resources

Estate Planning for the Terminally Ill: A Practical Guide

  • April 7, 2025
  • 1 minute read
What happens when the domestic tax rules of two different countries look at the same person and both conclude that the individual is a tax resident?
Curated Content Related Resources

Navigating Dual-Residency: Canada’s Tax Treaty Tie-Breakers

  • May 12, 2026
  • Less than a minute
Do you own a valuable piece of art, an antique car or rare Pokémon card? Here are some expert insights, from RBC Wealth Management, on how to work antiques and other valuable collectibles into your estate plan...
Curated Content Unique Collectibles

How to Work Antiques & Collectibles into Your Estate Plan

  • November 1, 2023
  • Less than a minute
Texas woman, 40, squandered $250K inheritance on travel and ‘fancy dinners’ — how she turned things around...
Curated Content Squandered Fortunes

Texas Woman Squandered $250K Inheritance

  • September 13, 2024
  • 1 minute read
March is Fraud Prevention Month and with reported cases of fraud rising, seniors are encouraged to increase their awareness of current scams and learn how they can protect themselves.
Curated Content Digital Distress

Cyber Scams: Fraud Prevention Resources for Canadian Seniors

"Some businesses remain in the family. Others do not. Business owners might muse about succession within the family unit. However, musings do not always give rise to enforceable promises."
Curated Content Succession Lessons

Succession Planning for a Family Business Can Be Tricky

This guide will help you explore the key aspects of inheritance tax in Canada for non-residents, taxes on property, and cross-border tax concerns for Canadians inheriting overseas.
Curated Content Frequently Asked Questions

Canadian Inheritance Tax 2025: Frequently Asked Questions

During this highly stressful and overwhelming time, it is important to remember that financial well-being can be critical to your path to mental wellness. These five steps are a good place to start...
Curated Content Related Resources

Financial Well-Being: Coping with Debt After Losing Your Spouse

Charitable Giving: Legacy is More than What You Leave Behind
Charitable Misgivings Curated Content

Charitable Giving: Legacy is More than What You Leave Behind

valuable lessons learned from

Communication Breakdowns
& Family Disputes

Estate Planning Can Be Difficult: Surprises Complicate Things Further | Curated Content | Communication Breakdowns | Estates Gone Wrong
Communication Breakdowns Curated Content

Estate Planning is Difficult: Don’t Complicate it With Surprises

  • September 22, 2024
  • 1 minute read
‘Really weird vibes’: This man says his wife’s grandma left them part of a multi-million dollar inheritance — but her parents think they ‘got skipped’ and want in on it.
Curated Content Family Disputes

Family Drama & Weird Vibes: Grandma’s Inheritance Surprise

  • January 29, 2025
  • 1 minute read
The First Step: Open Conversation with Loved Ones | Communication Breakdowns | We Need to Talk About Estate Planning | Estates Gone Wrong
Communication Breakdowns Curated Content

The First Step: Open Conversation with Loved Ones

  • September 5, 2024
  • 1 minute read
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All Celebrity Estates Family Disputes Charitable Misgivings Common Mistakes Bizarre Bequests Long-Term Care Crisis Communication Breakdowns Property Pitfalls Digital Distress Guardian Safeguards
Glastonbury Founder Could Avoid £80m in Inheritance Tax
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Glastonbury Founder Could Avoid £80m in Inheritance Tax

  • June 30, 2025
  • 1 minute read
Family Cottage Succession: a Dream or a Nightmare? No matter how much you may intend to keep the property in the family, you should plan for the almost certain inevitability that at some point it will be sold.
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Shared Ownership in The Family Cottage: a Dream or a Nightmare?

  • August 5, 2022
  • 1 minute read
Charitable Misgivings Curated Content

Charity Explains Why Dunfermline Church Plans Fell Through

  • January 25, 2024
  • 1 minute read
Abusive Guardianships: Prevention & Taking Action
Curated Content Guardian Safeguards

Abusive Guardianships: Prevention & Taking Action

  • September 19, 2023
  • 1 minute read
The decision of how to divide inherited property between siblings can be a complex one. In this article, Keystone explores how to divide inherited property between siblings fairly, and common disputes and solutions when inheriting a house with siblings.
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Inheriting a House with Siblings: Not as Straightforward as it Seems

  • September 12, 2025
  • 1 minute read
Robert De Niro is said to have plans to leave his seventh child a huge bite of his fortune – leaving his other relatives peeved... De Niro's older children reportedly want an equal cut of his massive estate.
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Robert De Niro Sparks ‘Family Feud’ with His Plans to Revamp Will

  • March 5, 2025
  • 1 minute read
This guide explains—in plain language—how the Long‑Term Care Rate Reduction Program works and how it can help lower your monthly bill.
Curated Content Long-Term Care Crisis

Reducing the Cost of Long-Term Care in Ontario

  • July 3, 2025
  • 1 minute read
Sibling Rivalry Lands Mother’s Estate in Court | A Cautionary Tale | Family Disputes | Court Battles | Estates Gone Wrong
Curated Content Family Disputes

Sibling Rivalry Lands Mother’s Estate in Court

  • November 28, 2024
  • 1 minute read
Failing to include cryptocurrency in your estate plan can create serious problems. This article explains how cryptocurrency fits into an estate plan, what tools are available, and how to protect your digital assets for the people you care about.
Curated Content Digital Distress

Why Cryptocurrency Estate Planning Is No Longer Optional

  • February 4, 2026
  • 1 minute read
Long-Term Care Expenses Can Destroy Your Estate Plan | Elder Care Costs | Tax Implications | LTC Insurance | Estates Gone Wrong
Curated Content Long-Term Care Crisis

Long-Term Care Expenses Can Destroy Your Estate Plan

  • May 23, 2024
  • 1 minute read
10 Costly Estate Planning Mistakes | Curated Content | Common Mistakes | Cautionary Tales | Inheritance Horror Stories | Estates Gone Wrong
Common Mistakes Curated Content

Top 10: Avoid These Costly Estate Planning Mistakes

  • March 16, 2023
  • Less than a minute
Series stars Stephen Fry as Peter Kingdom, who is coping with family, colleagues, and the strange locals who come to him for legal assistance.
Dramatized Content Family Disputes

Kingdom | British Comedy-Drama Series | 2007-2009

  • April 22, 2007
  • Less than a minute
guardian safeguards + eldercare nightmares

The Importance of Planning for
Custody & Long-Term Care

Assuming testamentary capacity, more frequent reviews of all estate planning documents should be undertaken later in life, not only to remind will makers of the provisions in their wills, but to help prevent unintended outcomes.
Curated Content Long-Term Care Crisis

Canadians are Living Longer: Estate Planning Considerations

  • January 23, 2025
  • 1 minute read
It’s vital for every adult in Ontario to get their head around the fundamental distinction between a Power of Attorney and a Guardianship. These aren’t just two names for the same thing...
Curated Content Guardian Safeguards

Power of Attorney vs Guardianship in Ontario: The Critical Difference

  • February 4, 2026
  • 1 minute read
Long-Term Care Expenses Can Destroy Your Estate Plan | Elder Care Costs | Tax Implications | LTC Insurance | Estates Gone Wrong
Curated Content Long-Term Care Crisis

Long-Term Care Expenses Can Destroy Your Estate Plan

  • May 23, 2024
  • 1 minute read
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Helpful Tips + Reference Guides

Related Resources

By approaching estate planning with openness and involving your family in the conversation, you create a legacy of love, respect, and financial security that extends beyond your lifetime.
Curated Content Related Resources

What & When Should You Tell Your Children About Their Inheritance?

  • June 20, 2022
  • 2 minutes read
Read More
Creating an estate plan can protect your family’s finances. Learn why it is important for young families to get an early start on estate planning.
Curated Content Related Resources

Don’t Wait: Estate Planning for Young Families

  • June 20, 2025
  • 1 minute read
Read More
Neutral Ground in Family Storms: How the appointment of a professional estate executor can help families navigate turbulent waters.
Curated Content Related Resources

Reasons for Appointing a Neutral Professional in The Role of Executor

  • September 12, 2025
  • 1 minute read
Read More
These moments spent with a loved one during the last few hours of life are precious and profound and they can change you for the good forever. Say yes and show up to offer comfort... You won’t regret it.
Curated Content Related Resources

Comforting a Dying Loved One: What to Say…

  • March 6, 2024
  • 1 minute read
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Recent Posts

What happens when the domestic tax rules of two different countries look at the same person and both conclude that the individual is a tax resident?
May 12, 2026

Navigating Dual-Residency: Canada’s Tax Treaty Tie-Breakers

One widely shared social post says putting “everything you own” into a Trust could bypass probate, leaving more funds for your kids when passing on your estate. But that advice is far from universal.
May 12, 2026

Put “Everything in a Trust” to Bypass Probate: Is This Good Advice?

Paris Jackson has gone public with allegations that the longtime trustees of her late father’s estate have been misappropriating funds and mismanaging one of the most valuable entertainment empires in history.
May 8, 2026

Jackson Estate: Is Michael’s Daughter Receiving Terrible Advice?

Ontario’s approach is deliberately cautious. A posthumously conceived child is entitled to inherit only if all statutory requirements are satisfied.
May 8, 2026

Posthumous Conception and Inheritance in Ontario

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Our global curated content roundup is intended for information purposes only. We do not provide advisory services nor do we purport to offer direct legal advice. If you offer professional estate planning advisement, administration, or legal services, we welcome and encourage you to apply for a paid profile placement in our upcoming directory listings.

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Infamous Feuds + Celebrity Estates

Cautionary Tales

Gene Roddenberry is widely known as the mind behind Star Trek but less well known is his ugly estate litigation fight that centered around the definition of “Star Trek.”
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

To Boldly Go Where No Estate Litigation Has Gone Before

The Barclay family feud started with accusations of privacy breach at the family-owned Ritz hotel. Open discussions about succession, good structuring and mediation could help a family business avoid going the same way as the Barclay's.
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Rise and Fall of an Empire: The Barclay Family Feud

Billionaire Family Feuds: The 7 Biggest Disputes
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Billionaire Family Feuds: Seven High-Profile Disputes

The ongoing legal dispute within the Rothschild family over a stunning collection of art captures the intrigue surrounding one of the world’s most powerful families. As the case unfolds, the art world watches closely.
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Rothschild Family Feud Erupts Over ‘Mini-Louvre’ Art Collection

James Brown’s Estate Reaches Settlement After Nearly 15-Year Dispute | Curated Content | Celebrity Estates | Estates Gone Wrong
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

James Brown’s Estate Reaches Settlement After Lengthy Dispute

Inside The Bitter Family Feuds of America’s Richest Billionaire Clans
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Inside The Bitter Feuds of America’s Richest Families

Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Lessons To Be Learned From Failed Celebrity Estates

The Menendez Estate: Who Got the Money?
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

The Menendez Estate: What Happened to the Money?

The Anna Nicole Smith estate saga is more than just a celebrity courtroom drama; it's a cautionary tale with lessons for everyone, according to attorney John Levy. 
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Case Study: Anna Nicole Smith Estate Saga Offers Lessons for All

Six Estate Planning Mistakes Celebrities Made | Curated Content | Celebrity Estates | Estates Gone Wrong | A will isn't enough...
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Six Estate Planning Mistakes Celebrities Made

These heiresses —Evalyn Walsh McLean, Catherine Tylney-Long, Christina Onassis, Barbara Hutton, and Barbara Baekland— learned that some prices are too high to pay, even when you can afford anything money can buy.
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

The Cursed Fortunes That Destroyed Their Heiresses

Gore-Tex Heiress, Susan Gore, has been denied the right to adopt her 65-year-old ex-husband as a means to boost her family's inheritance fortune.
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Court Ruling: Heiress Cannot Adopt Ex-Husband for Inheritance

Exploring the legal, contractual, and federal challenges of AI-driven celebrity likeness—from state statutes to the proposed “No Fakes Act.”
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Postmortem Publicity Rights: Digital Use of Celebrity Likeness

From legendary musicians to business moguls, read on to discover some of the bitterest inheritance battles of all time. 
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Battle of Wills: 25 Infamous Inheritance Disputes

Tori Spelling, daughter of TV producer Aaron Spelling, received an inheritance of $800,000 from his $500 million estate, not the substantial sum some might have expected. 
Celebrity Estates Generated Content

Aaron Spelling: Reasons Behind the ‘Unequal’ Estate Distribution?

Often you hear that you should review your will or trust to make sure it keeps up with changes in your life and still meets your needs. The tragic death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, whose will became public due to the probate proceeding, brought some of these issues into the public eye.
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Unintended Consequences: Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Estate

By ensuring that your intentions are documented, accounting for all family members, and keeping the will simple, you can help your loved ones avoid legal battles and ensure your estate is handled smoothly.  
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Valuable Lessons in Clarity & Intent from Canadian Celebrity Estates

Celebrity Estates Curated Content

What We Can Learn From Celebrity Estate Planning Gone Wrong

The name John Seward Johnson probably means very little to you, but you’ve certainly know the company that Johnson’s father co-founded. That’s right – Johnson & Johnson, the maker of baby products we’ve all used for generations.
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Disinherited Children: Battle Over The Johnson & Johnson Legacy

This full length in-depth documentary explores how some of history's wealthiest families were torn apart when their own children turned against the empires their ancestors built.
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Wealthy Families Betrayed By Their Own Children: Documentary

Foreman established a distinctive personal legacy marked by a large blended family and a multimillion-dollar estate. His unique family dynamic highlights the importance of proper estate planning: crucial when managing multiple heirs, complex family relationships, and shared family names.
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

George Foreman’s Legacy: Lessons for Complex Blended Families

Robert De Niro is said to have plans to leave his seventh child a huge bite of his fortune – leaving his other relatives peeved... De Niro's older children reportedly want an equal cut of his massive estate.
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Robert De Niro Sparks ‘Family Feud’ with His Plans to Revamp Will

James Gandolfini’s estate planning missteps cost $30M. The oversight in Gandolfini’s plan serves as a reminder of the risks involved in relying solely on a will— no matter how straightforward the intent.
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Estate Planning Lessons from James Gandolfini’s $70 Million Estate

The longstanding feud among the heirs of Sol Goldman’s vast New York real estate fortune has reignited. This is the latest chapter in a family conflict that dates back to the 1980s... 
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

NYC Real Estate Dynasty Heirs Intensify Feud Over Property Empire

Inheritance Mishaps from the Rich and Famous | Canadian Family Offices | Curated Content | Celebrity Estates | Estates Gone Wrong
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Inheritance Mishaps from the Rich and Famous

Priscilla Presley Settles Dispute with Granddaughter over Lisa Marie Presley's Estate | Curated Content | Celebrity Estates
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Priscilla Presley Settles Dispute with Granddaughter over Estate

Succession-style feud settled as court sides with Edward Rogers: The fight for Rogers Communications has riven one of Canada’s richest families— and it began with an accidental 'butt dial'...
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Succession-Style Feud: The Fight for Rogers Communications

real repercussions of inheriting real estate

Property Pitfalls

Selling or transferring an inherited cottage in Canada often triggers capital gains tax, even though Canada does not have an inheritance tax. If you are administering an estate or planning a future transfer, early tax clarity can prevent costly mistakes later.
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Selling or Transferring an Inherited Cottage in Canada

  • January 12, 2026
  • 1 minute read
Inheriting property can be a complex process, but with proper planning, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Taking proactive steps can prevent disputes and create a clear path for future generations.
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Inheriting Property: What You Need to Know

  • May 22, 2025
  • 3 minutes read
The Pitfalls of Joint Ownership: Know the Risks
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

The Pitfalls of Joint Ownership: Know the Risks

  • May 22, 2025
  • 1 minute read
While a trust can be an effective way to manage and transfer ownership of the family cottage, it requires careful planning to get it right.
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Trust Planning for The Family Cottage: Key Considerations

  • September 19, 2025
  • 1 minute read
Probate planning pitfalls: The risks that you need to consider before adding your child to the title of your home for estate planning purposes
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Adding Your Child to The Title of Your Home: Know The Risks!

  • March 12, 2024
  • 1 minute read
If you and your siblings are on track to one day inherit your parents’ home, take heed of this cautionary tale, and learn how to avoid the same fate. Does this man owe his siblings anything more? All the experts to share their take on the situation.
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Inheriting a Home With Your Siblings: What Can Go Wrong?

  • January 16, 2025
  • 1 minute read
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Explore Topics

Dying Saskatchewan Farmer’s Will Goes Down in History | Curated Content | Strange Bequests | Estates Gone Wrong

Bizarre Bequests

30
Priscilla Presley Settles Dispute with Granddaughter over Lisa Marie Presley's Estate | Curated Content | Celebrity Estates

Celebrity Estates

56
Family Conflict Results in Long-Term Estate Litigation over Secret Trust and Mutual Wills Agreement | Family Disputes | Estates Gone Wrong

Charitable Misgivings

32
Estate Planning: 6 Big Mistakes You Might Be Making | Curated Content | Common Mistakes | Estates Gone Wrong

Common Mistakes

44
What to Do when the Executor Is Not Communicating with Beneficiaries? | Curated Content | Communication Breakdowns | Estates Gone Wrong

Communication Breakdowns

42
Top 8 Risks: The Dangers of Improper Estate Planning | Common Mistakes | Cautionary Tales | Inheritance Horror Stories | Estates Gone Wrong

Digital Distress

54
Fights Over Estates Can Tear Families Apart | Curated Content | Family Disputes | Inheritance Horror Stories | Estates Gone Wrong

Family Disputes

66
Abusive Guardianships: Prevention & Taking Action

Guardian Safeguards

36
High Costs for Long-Term Care are 'Unforgivable' | Curated Content | Elder Care Nightmares | Estates Gone Wrong

Long-Term Care Crisis

34
What to Do if You Inherit a House with a Mortgage | Curated Content | Property Pitfalls | Real Estate | Inheriting Debt | Estates Gone Wrong

Property Pitfalls

50
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