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How Preparing Your Will and Estate Carefully Can Help Avoid Potential Disputes for Ontario Families

Everyone knows the importance of keeping careful records of your income, assets and expenses for your accountant. But what about doing the same for your family?

The death of a loved one can leave a family dealing with a variety of complex estate, trust and financial matters, in addition to the difficult emotions attached to that loss.

The intricacies of settling wills and estates can become deeply personal when there are complex family dynamics involved.  Sometimes, the help of an Ontario will and estate lawyer may be required to bring resolution to the situation.

Today, family trees in Ontario contain more branches than ever; step parents, half siblings and children of second marriages are all parties that may consider themselves to have an interest in the same estate or trust. Disputes may take place if family members are unclear of the deceased’s intentions.

 


As more people find themselves dealing with the matter of establishing Power of Attorney for aging parents, or settling the wills and estates of parents who have died, it becomes clear that careful preparation is necessary to avoid possible disputes.

Seeking legal advice can help you to understand what is fair and reasonable under the circumstances, while remaining sensitive to your situation. Your lawyer should be able to analyze the estate issues, manage family dynamics, negotiate a fair and agreeable solution, and resolve any lasting conflicts or disputes that may arise during the process of settling a loved one’s estate or last testament.

Our lawyers can help protect your rights under Ontario’s wills, estates and succession laws, and ensure the proceedings follow current provincial legislation while helping your family negotiate a fair solution.

Contact us if you have questions about settling a will or estate.

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