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The Alberta Court of Appeal has once again emphasized the importance of "getting it in writing" and also making sure any agreement is signed, especially where there is a husband and wife.

An "estate freeze" is a device that is used to "freeze" the value of a business or asset in the hands of one party and transfer the future growth to another person without triggering undue tax consequences.

Many clients ask us: "Will you store my Will?" The answer is: No.

Can I use a Power of Attorney to buy, sell or mortgage real estate?

As lawyers, we often extol the virtues of getting a will done. We point out the advantages of naming the beneficiaries of your choice and making sure your estate is looked after by the executor or personal representative of your choice.

After five years and multiple drafts we just completed a Unanimous Shareholders Agreement (USA) for a long standing corporate client. Congratulations to them for persisting until they walked out of our office with a completed document. This USA will last for many years and likely govern their relations until they either sell or wind down the business.

The Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) published an article written by Stan Galbraith in their September newsletter. This newsletter is distributed to all real estate professionals in Alberta.

In this, the latest addition to our video series, Alex Dimitroff addresses the question of bridge or interim financing. Alex explains that this is a loan you will arrange to make sure your real estate purchase closes smoothly when you are relying on the money from the sale of an existing home.

Who is the best choice to act as the Personal Representative or Executor of my estate? By the way, Personal Representative or PR is the new single designation we use in Alberta to replace the traditional designations of Executor, Executrix, Administrator, and Administratrix.

What about adding my children to the title to my home? Won’t this simplify my estate and reduce the expenses?

Many people ask us: My estate is quite simple. Do I really need to pay a lawyer to help me prepare my will? I have seen wills kits available at my local book store or online and I think these will work just fine. What do you think?

A recent case from the Alberta Court of Appeal dealt with a dispute between two brothers regarding the ownership of a rental property in Calgary. When purchased, the property was registered in both names as joint tenants. Later on, a dispute arose as to ownership.