There’s no escaping taxes when settling an Estate. An executor/trustee is responsible for filing tax returns for both the deceased and the Estate itself. Here is a preliminary list of tax activities to consider throughout the settlement process...
Curated Content Tax-Smart Strategies

Estate Settlement and Taxes: What You Need to Know

  • December 4, 2024
  • Less than a minute
Losing a loved one is hard enough, but selling their home can bring up even more emotions. Selling a loved one’s home is never easy, but with the right support, you can move forward with care and confidence.
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Navigating the Emotional Toll of Selling Your Late Loved One’s Home

  • February 12, 2025
  • Less than a minute
An understanding of the legal framework governing estate and trust distributions provides the necessary context for examining why fiduciaries may choose to postpone disbursements.
Curated Content Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Delayed Distributions

  • April 11, 2026
  • 2 minutes read
Estate Planning and Succession Planning— What exactly are the differences between the two? And which one do you need to plan for a secure future for your loved ones?
Curated Content Succession Lessons

Estate Planning vs. Succession Planning

  • July 4, 2025
  • 1 minute read
Discussing your estate plan with your family may feel uncomfortable, but avoiding the conversation can create unnecessary confusion and conflict. Clear communication prevents misunderstandings and ensures your loved ones understand your intentions.
Communication Breakdowns Curated Content

How to Tactfully Discuss Your Estate Plan with Your Family

  • April 24, 2025
  • 2 minutes read
If you’re building wealth for future generations, open communication and clear planning are just as important as investment strategies. These stories offer practical lessons for anyone hoping to pass on wealth— or simply keep their family together...
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Wealthy Families That Lost Everything Over Generational Feuds

  • August 27, 2025
  • Less than a minute
A critical part of advance care planning is choosing someone who will represent you in case you can’t represent yourself. This article provides an introduction to healthcare proxies, the process of selecting one, and resources for getting started.
Curated Content Related Resources

Choosing a Healthcare Proxy: Who Will Speak for You?

Inheriting real estate from parents can be a significant financial lift for beneficiaries. But receiving this gift comes with significant responsibilities and decisions.
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Preparing for the Responsibilities of an Inherited Family Home

Curated Content Related Resources

Create a More Effective Estate Plan: Tips & Best Practices

Urgent global law reform is needed to address the transfer of digital assets in estate planning. The current legal landscape struggles to keep pace with the rapid evolution of digital assets, leading to uncertainty and potential loss of value for inheritors. 
Digital Distress Generated Content

Digital Distress: Urgent Global Law Reform Required

Sibling Living in Inherited Property: Refuses To Sell
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Sibling Living in Inherited Property: Refuses To Sell

valuable lessons learned from

Communication Breakdowns
& Family Disputes

Defusing Trust Disputes: A Guide to Conflict Resolution
Curated Content Family Disputes

Defusing Trust Disputes: A Guide to Conflict Resolution

  • December 6, 2024
  • Less than a minute
The Roy family is known for controlling the biggest media and entertainment company in the world. However, their world changes when their father steps down from the company.
Dramatized Content Family Disputes

Succession | Television Series | 2018-2023

  • June 3, 2018
  • 1 minute read
Following an apparent suicide, a wealthy patriarch's will and testament surprisingly leaves virtually nothing of his wealth to his third wife and two sons.
Dramatized Content Family Disputes

I, Jack Wright | British TV Drama | 2025

  • April 30, 2025
  • Less than a minute
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Groundbreaking Estate Decisions in 2024 & 2025
Curated Content Family Disputes

Groundbreaking Estate Litigation Decisions

  • April 23, 2025
  • 3 minutes read
If you have kids, you need to name a guardian for them when making your will. Consider these steps to help you make this important decision.
Curated Content Guardian Safeguards

5 Steps to Choosing a Guardian for Your Children

  • July 25, 2023
  • 1 minute read
Avoid Estate Administration Surprises. Performing a title search on your property as part of your estate plan could save your heirs both money and hassle. 
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Avoid Estate Administration Surprises: Perform a Title Search

  • October 26, 2024
  • 1 minute read
Agreement Reached in Dispute over Charley Pride's Will
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Agreement Reached in Dispute over Charley Pride’s Will

  • September 29, 2022
  • 1 minute read
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.
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

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

  • May 8, 2026
  • 1 minute read
Dueling Trustees Battle Over Jimmy Buffett’s $275 Million Estate
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Dueling Trustees Battle Over Jimmy Buffett’s $275 Million Estate

  • June 16, 2025
  • 2 minutes read
Navigating the Evolving Landscape: Val Kilmer’s Digital Legacy
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Navigating the Evolving Landscape: Val Kilmer’s Digital Legacy

  • April 10, 2025
  • 1 minute read
How to Plan for Incapacity & Guardianship: Canada
Curated Content Guardian Safeguards

How to Plan for Incapacity & Guardianship: Canada

  • August 18, 2023
  • 1 minute read
After a break-in, a frail elderly woman is found dead in her flat by her neighbor. Tipped off by the victim's granddaughter Connie, the investigation focuses on the old lady's live-in caregiver.
Dramatized Content Guardian Safeguards

Law & Order: UK | Episode “Mortal” | 2013

  • August 11, 2013
  • 1 minute read
Executor negligence can cause trouble among beneficiaries, leading to bad sentiment and possible legal disputes. Find out what happens if an executor fails to complete estate administration duties in BC...
Communication Breakdowns Curated Content

Estate Administration Duties: The Cost of Executor Negligence in BC

  • January 30, 2025
  • 1 minute read
The story follows Alex Rose, who, after the passing of her mother, discovers that her inheritance is tied to completing a list of childhood dreams she wrote at 13.
Bizarre Bequests Dramatized Content

The Life List | Romantic Comedy Drama | 2025

  • March 28, 2025
  • Less than a minute
It’s rumored that Lagerfeld left a large portion, if not all, of his nearly $300 million fortune to his beloved cat. Though there’s no confirmation on any specific dollar amount, it is understood that her inheritance is well into the millions...
Bizarre Bequests Curated Content

How Karl Lagerfeld’s Beloved Cat Spends Her Inheritance

  • April 9, 2025
  • 1 minute read
guardian safeguards + eldercare nightmares

The Importance of Planning for
Custody & Long-Term Care

In Ontario, long-term care homes must follow a law called the Fixing Long‑Term Care Act, 2021, which includes a Residents’ Bill of Rights. This resource explains these rights in language that’s easy to understand.
Curated Content Long-Term Care Crisis

Ontario Long-Term Care Home Residents: Know Your Rights!

  • February 18, 2025
  • 1 minute read
Guardianship is often described as a last resort, but without proper planning, it can quickly spiral into one of the most stressful legal battles a family faces. The good news is that guardianship nightmares are preventable with proper estate planning.
Curated Content Guardian Safeguards

Guardianship Nightmares: Costly Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

  • October 1, 2025
  • Less than a minute
Estate planning and long-term care planning should go hand in hand. A well-prepared plan ensures that assets are managed properly, healthcare preferences are honored, and family members are not left struggling to make last-minute financial decisions.
Curated Content Long-Term Care Crisis

Estate and Long-term Care Planning Should Go Hand in Hand

  • March 15, 2025
  • 1 minute read
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Helpful Tips + Reference Guides

Related Resources

Baby boomers are expected to pass down $124 trillion by 2048, and women are positioned to inherit much of that wealth. But many say they feel unprepared to manage an inheritance...
Curated Content Related Resources

Statistics: Majority of Women Confess ‘Inheritance Anxiety’

  • August 27, 2025
  • 2 minutes read
Read More
Planning a funeral can seem like a daunting task, but a step-by-step approach can help you to honor and remember a loved one. Memorial services provide opportunities for family members, friends, and others to offer comfort and support to the bereaved and to each other.
Curated Content Related Resources

Funeral Planning: Step-by-Step Guide to Honoring a Loved One

  • September 4, 2025
  • 1 minute read
Read More
Comparing DIY Estate Planning Software: Features & Costs | With so many options available, choosing the right DIY Estate Planning Software can feel like navigating a labyrinth...
Curated Content Related Resources

Comparing DIY Estate Planning Software: Features & Costs

  • May 7, 2025
  • 1 minute read
Read More
Being an executor is no easy task. While it can be a great honor, the role comes with significant responsibilities and potential risks. Before agreeing to serve as an executor, make sure you understand the scope of your duties and the possible hazards involved. 
Curated Content Related Resources

Surprising Hazards of Being an Executor: Know the Risks!

  • March 16, 2025
  • Less than a minute
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Recent Posts

The Court of Appeal recently released a decision dismissing appeals against conviction of a former Toronto police officer who fabricated the last will and testament of Heinz Siegfried Sommerfeld to benefit the police officer.
July 15, 2026

Consequences of ‘Stealing’ an Estate: Ontario Fraudulent Will Case

Choosing the right estate trustee —at the planning stage— can be one of the most important decisions a testator makes. This case serves as a cautionary tale of what can happen when an estate trustee fails to appreciate the seriousness of the role...
July 3, 2026

Cautionary Tale: When Poor Administration Comes at a Cost

With many estates being administered over extended periods —by older spouses, siblings, or peers— the risk that an executor becomes incapable is very real and foreseeable. Planning for incapacity at the drafting stage is key...
June 26, 2026

What Happens When An Estate Executor Becomes Incapable?

Navigating the legal maze of Canadian Estate Planning can be exceptionally daunting due to the recent enforcement of transparency mandates across all provinces. This article examines the structural steps required to successfully execute a family trust in Canada...
June 21, 2026

How To Set Up a Family Trust in Canada: 2026 Action Plan

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Infamous Feuds + Celebrity Estates

Cautionary Tales

Director Norman Jewison's wife cut him off from family, coerced him to change $30M will, lawsuits claimed. Legal fight between filmmaker's sons, 2nd wife highlights end-of-life struggles many families face...
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Family Members Clash Over Director Norman Jewison’s Estate

Robbie Robertson’s Children Accuse Widow of "Financial Elder Abuse" | Family Disputes | Celebrity Estates | Estates Gone Wrong
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Robbie Robertson’s Children Accuse Widow of “Financial Elder Abuse”

Elvis Presley’s Estate Planning Mistakes: Lessons for Us All | Curated Content | Celebrity Estates | Estates Gone Wrong
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Elvis Presley’s Estate Planning Mistakes: Lessons for Us All

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

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

Pablo Picasso, one of the most influential and renowned artists of the 20th century, left a lasting legacy through his groundbreaking artwork. However, the probate process that followed his death in 1973 was anything but straightforward.
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

From Canvas to Courtroom: The Legal Battle Over Picasso’s Estate

The Agnellis, Italy's ‘royal family’ of industry, has played a pivotal role in shaping global business and culture but a bitter feud is driving the Fiat family apart
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

The Agnelli Dynasty: Bitter 20-Year Inheritance Feud

Robert Redford's stunning $20m property portfolio revealed after Hollywood icon dies in his sleep aged 89
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Robert Redford’s Stunning $20m Property Portfolio

Aretha Franklin’s Handwritten Last Wishes: a Tale of Two Wills
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Aretha Franklin’s Handwritten Last Wishes: a Tale of Two Wills

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

Disney is one of the biggest media companies in the world, with an estimated net worth of nearly $130 billion. From a family-trust-fund feud to generous philanthropic endeavors, here's a look at the three generations of the Disney family.
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Disney Family Feud as Heirs Battle for $400 Million Trust Fund

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

Stan Lee, the iconic co-creator of Marvel superheroes, became center of a high-profile elder abuse lawsuit...
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Elder Abuse Lawsuit Against Stan Lee’s Ex-Manager

Estate Planning Mistakes of the Rich and Famous | Curated Content | Celebrity Estates | Inheritance Horror Stories | Estates Gone Wrong
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Estate Planning Mistakes of the Rich and Famous

Daughters of late Hollywood legend Paul Newman filed a lawsuit against the Newman's Own Foundation (NOF), claiming their father's legacy is "under assault" by the "very organization he founded in an effort to preserve and expand that legacy."
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Paul Newman’s Daughters Claim Father’s Legacy is ‘Under Assault’

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

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?

The Legacy of Bob Ross: Lessons in Succession Planning
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

The Legacy of Bob Ross: Lessons in Succession Planning

Estate planning becomes more complicated when assets, citizenship and tax rules extend beyond a single country. In this episode of Celebrity Estates, David Lenok speaks with Martin Behn about these challenges.
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Celebrity Estates Podcast: Cross-Border Planning Lessons

Robin Williams' family, though provided for in his will, spent years after his passing in court battling over items, budgets and Knick knacks because the language in the beloved comedian's will was non-specific and overly vague.
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Cautionary Tale: Overly Vague Language in Robin Williams Will

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

Jay Pritzker quietly built a $15 billion empire of more than 200 companies, including Hyatt Hotels Corp., and a network of 1,000 family trusts.
Curated Content Infamous Feuds

Pritzker Family Settles Dispute with $900 Million Agreement

AI and Ethics Collide: A proposal to use artificial intelligence to recreate the voice of late actor Robin Williams has reignited a contentious debate around consent, legacy, and the ethical boundaries of generative AI.
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Robin Williams Voice Recreation Proposal Sparks Backlash

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

Dueling Trustees Battle Over Jimmy Buffett’s $275 Million Estate
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Dueling Trustees Battle Over Jimmy Buffett’s $275 Million Estate

The Top 10 Estate Battles Of All Time | Curated Content | Celebrity Estates | Inheritance Horror Stories | Estates Gone Wrong
Celebrity Estates Curated Content

Probate Disputes: The Top 10 Estate Battles Of All Time

real repercussions of inheriting real estate

Property Pitfalls

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

What to Do if You Inherit a House with a Mortgage

  • August 27, 2024
  • 1 minute read
Losing a loved one is hard enough, but selling their home can bring up even more emotions. Selling a loved one’s home is never easy, but with the right support, you can move forward with care and confidence.
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Navigating the Emotional Toll of Selling Your Late Loved One’s Home

  • February 12, 2025
  • Less than a minute
Canadian Inheritance Tax on Property: What You Should Know | Property Pitfalls | Real Estate | Capital Gains Tax | Estates Gone Wrong
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Canadian Inheritance Tax on Property: What You Should Know

  • February 16, 2025
  • 1 minute read
Inheriting a Home With Your Siblings: A Cautionary Tale | Property Pitfalls | Real Estate | Family Disputes | Estates Gone Wrong
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Inheriting a Home With Your Siblings: A Cautionary Tale

  • September 14, 2024
  • 1 minute read
Even Canadians who don’t consider themselves snowbirds may own property south of the border or have other U.S. based assets that could impact their planning.
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Snowbirds: Is Your Cross-border Property in Your Estate Plan?

  • January 2, 2024
  • Less than a minute
Testators should know the risks before using joint ownership as an estate planning tool. 
Curated Content Property Pitfalls

Joint Ownership of Property: Know the Risks

  • February 16, 2024
  • 1 minute read
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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

48
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

68
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

36
What to Do if You Inherit a House with a Mortgage | Curated Content | Property Pitfalls | Real Estate | Inheriting Debt | Estates Gone Wrong

Property Pitfalls

54
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