Estate Planning

Jeanette was 36 when her father died. It had been a tough year for Jeanette.  After her father passed away, she had to set up a Henson Trust for her older brother, Darrell.  She didn’t expect her role as trustee – and everything else that came with it – would be...

What’s fair? You want everyone in your family to have what they need, including yourself. You also want peace in your family. Sometimes these two goals collide. Making sure everyone has what they need may not satisfy everyone’s definition of fairness. Case in point. A...

You have an adult child receiving benefits from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), so you have a will that includes a Henson Trust to protect her ODSP after you have passed away.  You have chosen one or more trustees to manage the assets in that Henson...

If your son or daughter is on ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program), there is only so much money they can receive from other sources before their ODSP benefits are jeopardized. That includes money withdrawn from a Henson Trust. There is no limit to the amount of...

Whether you have a child with a disability or not, the simple answer in almost all situations is yes. Retaining a lawyer to draft a proper will does cost. Many of my clients have paid in the neighbourhood of $1,500 to $2,500 for powers of attorney and a will that...

How Much Do I Need to Leave Behind for My Child with Special Needs? It is a question I get all the time.  How much is enough? Parents who have a child with a developmental disability who may not be able to secure and maintain gainful employment or live independently...