Many of you may be wondering, “What is Zoom?” or “What is FaceTime?” In a series of how-to articles, we will post links to some helpful tutorials on using the most popular Law Society of Ontario approved virtual meeting platforms. Zoom is a platform for online meetings. It is free to join Zoom and the software (which is also free) is available for a variety of popular devices (Windows, Mac or Apple devices, Android, and others).
More often than not, when clients ask lawyers questions about cyber or personal security, during a negotiation or disagreement, those questions find their way to me, as the general manager—mostly because it’s my job, at the firm, to know about these things. While I am not a security expert in any way, shape, or form, we decided it could be helpful for clients, and potential clients, to read an article on the general topic of security, especially when involved in a sensitive legal matter that they are considering bringing to our lawyers.
Probate refers to the process of the court recognizing the will as the last version,which willbe administered and grants the “trustee” (or executor”) the authority to administer the estate.
Even though the most common court submission is an “Application for Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee with a Will,” submissions can have different names because there are many variations of the process. In general, the process involves submitting the original will, proof of death certificate, documentation in the form of an asset report, and an application to the court.
I was recently asked to answer some questions about the rights of people that are not heterosexual, to clarify if there are legal differences in the way people are allowed to be treated. In most cases, the short answer is “no.” Canadian and, more specifically, Ontario law requires people to be treated equally.
Transactions in the investment, commercial, or industrial world are often quite different from other real estate and business deals. Their unique set of characteristics begins with the Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Almost every commercial real estate agent I have met wants the buyer’s offer reviewed carefully and amended after a client meeting, before it goes to the seller. This process is different from the typical residential transaction, because, normally, there are not multiple offers, which means that the buyer has time to consider their position. While what follows is mostly from the point of view of a buyer, sellers can use that time to better understand how it can work for them.
