When can you have two spouses?

In this post, Chris Staples talks about a new case (Blair v. Cooke) from the Ontario Superior Court which has said that for the purposes of making a claim for support against the estate of a deceased, the deceased could have two spouses at the same time. This is because more than one person at a time can fit the definition of "spouse" as set out in the Ontario law. Though most of us would logically think that we have only one spouse at a time, this case shows that the law may not agree with you. To read Mr. Staples' comments and the case itself, click here.

LinkedIn group reaches 300 members

About a year and a half ago, I started a group on LinkedIn called "Canadian Will and Estate Professionals". It has been growing steadily, with lawyers, financial advisors, tax advisors, accountants, trust officers, marketing people, law students and more signing up. Today our membership reached 300 individuals.

I've found it to be a great resource for getting answers and for finding connections. I've successfully linked clients with assets in multiple jurisdictions with lawyers in other provinces. I find that the more members we gain, the more interesting articles and topics appear on the discussion board.

Anyone connected to the wills and estate industry is welcome to join us. Setting up a profile on LinkedIn is free, and joining the group is free. Click here to check it out.

LinkedIn group reaches 200 members

The LinkedIn group I started about a year ago for Canadian Wills and Estates Professionals has now reached 200 members! I've used this group twice to find contacts in other provinces for customers here in Alberta. Also, when I went to Toronto a few months ago for a Canadian Bar Association meeting, I met several people who recognized my name from the group so it's certainly good for raising a person's profile. Our members are mostly from Canada, but not exclusively. We have a few from the USA and the UK, and a sprinkling of others. Everyone is welcome, regardless of location, if they have an interest in Wills and Estates in Canada. Our members are lawyers, accountants, tax experts, financial planners, insurance professionals, trust officers, writers and people interested in elder law. We share news and discussions, and ask questions to get feedback from others. LinkedIn is free to join, as is the Canadian Wills and Estates Professionals group on that site, so click here if you'd like to check it out.

Group membership passes the 100 mark

The group I formed on LinkedIn for Canadian Will and Estate professionals welcomed its 100th member this week.

Any lawyers, accountants, financial planners, insurance professionals or medical personnel who deal with capacity issues are welcome to come by and check us out. I've included a link below. LinkedIn is one of the leading social networking sites. It's free to join. I've made some GREAT contacts on there already.

Network with other Wills and Estates professionals

For anyone working in Wills, Estates, Trusts and Elder Law who would like to meet, network with and exchange information and ideas with others in the industry, please feel free to join us at www.LinkedIn.com. Once you're on the site and have set up a profile (it's free!) look for the group called "Canadian Will and Estate Professionals" and click on "request to join". I'm the moderator of the group and will get to your request very quickly! Lawyers, accountants, trust officers, insurance representatives, business planners, financial advisors and medical professionals who deal with mental capacity issues are all urged to join us. Some of the topics posted for discussion so far include TFSAs, a horrendous but important elder abuse case and the importance of being a member of STEP. The group is growing quickly, so please check us out.