CLE Online

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:10)

Anna Laing — Farris LLP, Vancouver

Will or Trust—When to Choose One or the Other (9:10 – 9:50)

• pros and cons of a will versus a trust (including tax considerations)
• wills variation considerations for drafters
• mutual wills agreements as a potential tool

Stephanie J. Daniels — Farris LLP, Vancouver

BREAK (9:50 – 10:05)

Wills Variation Issues (10:05 – 10:45)

• recent case law specific to blended families
• the consideration of legal and moral obligations in the blended family context
• law relating to common law spouse vs. adult children variation claims

Eric B. Clavier — Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver

BREAK (10:45 – 11:00)

Family Home Considerations (11:00 – 11:40)

• joint tenancy—how to ease estate administration but still protect the kids
• Land (Spouse Protection) Act charges
• life estate versus license to occupy
  • the difference between the two
  • refresher—life estate obligations, who pays for what
  • practical difficulties policing the life estate

Tristan Miller — Farris LLP, Vancouver
Geoffrey W. White — Geoffrey W. White Law Corporation, Counsel, Clark Wilson LLP, Kelowna and Vancouver

BREAK (11:40 – 11:55)

Incapacity Planning (11:55 – 12:35)

• issues with powers of attorney
• using the adult's assets to support others
• who pays for caregiving
• when can an attorney sever a joint tenancy

Ingrid M. Tsui — Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver

LUNCH (12:35 – 1:15)

Agreements Between Spouses with Blended Families (1:15 – 1:50)

• considerations for spouses in financially disparate positions
• how much disclosure is enough
• how an agreement can help reduce future conflict with successor generations

Ian B. Hayward — Hayward Sheppard, Vancouver
Beatrice C. McCutcheon — Cook Roberts LLP, Victoria

BREAK (1:50 – 2:05)

Separation Issues in Blended Families (2:05 – 2:40)

• when the estate plan makes it advantageous for a spouse to trigger a separation
• challenging a strategic separation engineered by a spouse
• challenging a strategic separation engineered by a spouse's children

Chantal M. Cattermole — Clark Wilson LLP, Vancouver
Anna Laing — Farris LLP, Vancouver

BREAK (2:40 – 2:55)

Duties Between Spouses when Estate Planning (2:55 – 3:20)

• fraudulent conveyance considerations when estate planning
• fiduciary duties when estate planning

James W. Zaitsoff — Owen Bird Law Corporation, Vancouver

BREAK (3:20 – 3:35)

Tax Issues Specific to Blended Families (3:35 – 4:00)

• managing/minimizing taxation on death
• life interest trusts and drafting considerations
• particular tax considerations for inter vivos transfers

Alexander Demner — Thorsteinssons LLP, Vancouver