Information About Toronto Estate Law Blog
Recent Posts
Below is a preview of the five most recent posts from the blog Toronto Estate Law Blog. To read these posts in their entirely or subscribe to future updates from this blog, please visit their website!
- Hull & Hull Weekly Debrief – August 14, 2026
Listen to this week’s episode: Featured in this episode of the Hull & Hull Debrief: Suzana Popovic-Montag explores how Buffa v. Giacomelli 2026 ONCA 566 clarifies the distinction between motive and donative intent, the timing of intent and delivery, and when gifts made through joint accounts take ef … Read more »
- Unconventional use of Application to Pass Accounts – Can you seek pre-approval of discretionary decisions?
The Application to Pass Accounts might be one of the least exciting court proceedings. I do not think the newest spin-off will be “Law & Order – Passing of Accounts”, nor do I think Jack Nicholson will loudly be proclaiming “You can’t handle the truth” in response to an objection over trustee fees a … Read more »
- Hull on Estates 749 – Screening for Safety in Mediation: Guidance from the HELP-M Toolkit
This week on Hull on Estates, Nick Esterbauer and Mark Debono discuss the HELP-M Toolkit: Identifying and Responding to Family Violence and Power Imbalances in Mediative Approaches, some of its principles, and its application to mediation in estate litigation context. For more information, please re … Read more »
- A Question of Donative Intent: Ontario Court of Appeal Clarifies the Role of Motive and Timing in Buffa v. Giacomelli
Donative intent is central to the law of gifts, particularly when a gratuitous transfer is disputed. While determining whether a gift was intended may seem like a relatively straightforward inquiry, in fact, it can be surprisingly complex. Arguments can arise regarding a host of issues, such as whet … Read more »
- The Pecore of it all: Lessons from Buffa v. Giacomelli, 2026 ONCA 566
The Supreme Court of Canada decision in Pecore v Pecore, 2007 SCC 17, was released on May 3, 2007, and, pardon the trust joke, will reach its 21st anniversary in two years’ time. The significance of Pecore on present day estate litigation is ubiquitous. Its ratio is simple: Where a gratuitous tra … Read more »