CLE Online

Welcome and Introduction

Shelley A. Bentley — Kerr Redekop Leinburd & Boswell, Vancouver
Kenneth N. Burnett — Miller Thomson LLP, Vancouver

Acting for Blended Families: Conflicts, Confidentiality, and Other Considerations

• client management
• retainer agreements
• who is in the room
• ethics

Kim Karras — Brawn Karras Sanderson, Surrey

The Will as a Planning Tool

• will drafting considerations to minimize dispute
  • choosing personal representatives
  • personal effects
  • structure of gifts
• use of mirror wills, multiple wills, and contracts
• when is the will the right tool

Genevieve N. Taylor — Legacy Tax + Trust Lawyers, Vancouver

Wills Variation Issues

• changes to wills variation practice under WESA
• assessing the legal obligations to the spouse in light of the Family Law Act
• update on variation cases involving blended families
• using inter vivos trusts to avoid variation—the recent case law
• solicitor’s responsibilities in planning with a will or non-will tools

Helen H. Low, QC — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver

New Taxation Regime for Estates and Trusts

• taxation of life interest trusts on death—impact on blended families
• consequences of graduated rate estates for blended families
• qualified disability trusts

Kate S. Marples — Legacy Tax + Trust Lawyers, Vancouver

Networking Break

Family Law Tools and Issues

• WESA changes
• using family law agreements effectively to deal with asset division on death
• incapacity of spouses in the blended family context
• stepchildren parenting/guardianship and support issues

Anna Laing — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver

Networking Lunch

• WESA changes
• joint tenancies update
  • post-Pecore usage
  • Sawdon Estate v. Sawdon case
  • considerations in using for personal property vs. real property
  • using bare trust declarations with joint tenancies
  • with agreement to fund obligations
• deeds of gift
• insurance and RRSP/RRIF disignations
  • when to use
  • practical tips

Michelle Isaak — DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, Vancouver

Networking Break

Powers of Attorney and Representation Agreements

• issues with powers of attorney
• using the adult's assets to support others 
• when can an attorney sever a joint tenancy
• representation agreements vs. health care advance directives

Geoffrey W. White — Geoffrey W. White Law Corporation, Kelowna

Some Risks of the Planning Tools—Fraudulent Conveyance

• overview Fraudulent Conveyance Act and recent case law
• application to estate planning—are traditional estate planning tools subject to the Act
• are potential wills variation claimants protected
• does a valid estate planning purpose eliminate the taint of an improper concurrent purpose
• practical advice for estate planners
• other observations

Duncan J. Manson — Owen Bird Law Corporation, Vancouver