In spirit of the holidays, we are opening our Library of estate planning seminars for Advisors who want to choose their own topics and create a personalized bundle for professional development.  All proceeds go to the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. Video recordings and related materials are included.

Purchase sessions now - this offer is only available until the end of December.  You then select from the list of titles below, and have the rest of 2025 to view.

UK Inheritance Tax & Estate Planning

Philanthropy Trends, Impact & Secrets of Success

Estate Planning For the Family Vacation Property

Standards for Multi Family Offices

Ten Tips For Terminal Returns

To Serve & Account: Exploring Legal Obligations of Fiduciaries to Account for their Decisions

The Public Guardian & Trustee and Minors

Preserving Photos, Documents and Digital Images

Unpacking and Exploring the Emotional Side of Planning

Business Valuations - Case Studies for Advisors

Cross Border Couples - Can/US Immigration Issues for Families

Estate Planning / Relocating to the Cayman Islands

Income Splitting - Something Borrowed, Something New

Unveiling Blind Spots: Navigating Holistic Estate Planning and Identifying Potential Pitfalls

Estate Planning Challenges and Human Reproductive Technology

Due Diligence on Registered Charities in Canada

Advance Care Planning - The Sandwich Generation

Business & Life Insurance: Entrepreneurial Risk Management

Pros & Cons of Co-ownership Agreements / Multi-Generational Housing Strategies

The Two Pillars of Corporate Trust Business

The Risks and Opportunity Of Working with Vulnerable Clients

Selected Cross Border Financial, Tax & Estate Planning Issues 

Estate Planning for Families with Ties to Mexico

Medical Assistance in Dying - Old and New Challenges

Digital Assets and Your Estate: Is Your Estate Plan Complete?

Tips For Dealing With Trusts From Different Canadian Jurisdictions

Indigenous Trusts, Wills & Estates

Quebec Successions in Civil Law + Estate Planning for France

Planning for the Future of Someone with a Disability

The Estate Freeze - Pitfalls, Thoughts & Opportunities

Estate Planning for Clients with Ties to India

International Asset Tracing: An Investigator's Perspective

Transferring Values Before Transferring Wealth

German Inheritance Law and Tax

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For Professional Advisors only $20 per session

Estate Planning Council of Canada Members have free access to all presentations in our Library

Membership information: Membership

In this two-part presentation, we will explore how client services can be improved by staying up to date on legal trends and evolving legal developments in the areas of estate law outside the scope of one’s practice.

We will share insights on how proactive estate planning involves an appreciation of litigation trends and procedure, and vice versa.

In Part I, we will explore how a big picture understanding of the umbrella of estate law can guide proactive estate planning and estate administration. This will include suggestions for estate planning lawyers and other estate professionals involved in estate planning.

Estate law is a vast legal practice area that spans a wide array of legal services revolving around a client’s desire to manage, protect, and efficiently transfer assets from one generation to the next. It encompasses the preparation of essential documents, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and personal directives, to the administration of estates and trusts, both on the death of a testator or the incapacity of a donor. Of course, estate litigation is also alive and well in Canada and continues to be a fast-growing practice area.  Many estate law practitioners in Canada focus their practice on either the solicitor side, with client services focused on planning and administration, while others practice estate litigation, working to advance a client’s goal in court rooms and through alternative dispute resolution processes. 

In Part II (on Jan 23), the presentation will focus on understanding the drafting process, from client intake to signing, provides insights into litigation strategy and advocacy. While this presentation will focus on the provision of estate legal services, we know that we (us lawyers!) could not do it without the many important professional services who make up a client’s estate team, including financial advisors, accountants, trust officers, business succession planners, insurance agents, valuation experts and appraisers, and many more. For this reason, the presentation will also endeavor to identify where under the estate umbrella our teamwork adds value to the client along the spectrum an estate file.

Presenters:

Eleanor Carlson, TEP - Partner, Carbert Waite, LLP

Eleanor assists clients to resolve disputes on the validity and interpretation of wills. She advises clients with respect to estate accounting and handles issues relating to the decisions of executors and conflicts arising from the administration of estates and trusts. Eleanor represents clients in capacity and undue influence estate challenges and dependency claims for financial maintenance and support from estates. She also represents clients in contentious adult guardianship and trusteeship matters.

Gregory J. Kaladeen - Associate, McLeod Law, LLP

Greg's practice has emphasized estate litigation involving executor misconduct, mental incapacity and undue influence issues as well as litigation involving adult guardianship and trusteeship issues. Greg has successfully appeared before the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta and the Court of Appeal of Alberta. While he enjoys making appearances in Court, his passion is helping clients strategize and navigate difficult situations in his practice area

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Registration $35 - Recording Available - $55 for Part I & II

No charge for Estate Planning Council of Canada Members

Guests are welcome - this event is for Professional Advisors only.

Membership Information

We will explore how client services can be improved by staying up to date on legal trends and evolving legal developments in the areas of estate law outside the scope of one’s practice.

We will share insights on how proactive estate planning involves an appreciation of litigation trends and procedure, and vice versa.

In Part II, the presentation will focus on understanding the drafting process, from client intake to signing, provides insights into litigation strategy and advocacy. While this presentation will focus on the provision of estate legal services, we know that we (us lawyers!) could not do it without the many important professional services who make up a client’s estate team, including financial advisors, accountants, trust officers, business succession planners, insurance agents, valuation experts and appraisers, and many more. For this reason, the presentation will also endeavor to identify where under the estate umbrella our teamwork adds value to the client along the spectrum an estate file.

Estate law is a vast legal practice area that spans a wide array of legal services revolving around a client’s desire to manage, protect, and efficiently transfer assets from one generation to the next. It encompasses the preparation of essential documents, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and personal directives, to the administration of estates and trusts, both on the death of a testator or the incapacity of a donor. Of course, estate litigation is also alive and well in Canada and continues to be a fast-growing practice area.  Many estate law practitioners in Canada focus their practice on either the solicitor side, with client services focused on planning and administration, while others practice estate litigation, working to advance a client’s goal in court rooms and through alternative dispute resolution processes. 

Presenters

Eleanor Carlson, TEP 

Partner, Carbert Waite, LLP

Gregory Kaladeen

Associate, McLeod Law, LLP

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Registration $35 - Recording Available

No charge for Estate Planning Council of Canada Members

Guests are welcome - this event is for Professional Advisors only.

Membership Information

Taking instructions from substitute decision makers has been a source of confusion and potential liability for many Canadians who balance: 1. The right to make your own decisions; and 2. The need to appropriately restrict this autonomy to protect someone from being taken advantage of or making an incapable decision.

This seminar will:

• Review substitute decision making legislation from across Canada.
• Discuss common pitfalls related to fraud and misuse
• Offer some tips to add value to your incapacity planning/use.

Presenter: Nathan Spaling, RSSW, BA (Hons), JD

As a Registered Social Service Worker and Lawyer, Nathan has a unique experience working with people who live with (or are living through) vulnerable conditions or situations. However, during his time as a lawyer at a well-respected law firm operating out of the Waterloo, Wellington and Halton regions, he recognized that most industries do not have access to resources/training that allow for identification, analyzing and reporting on risks of incapacity and/or undue influence. 

In response to this, Nathan founded the Capacity Clinic and POA Registry to bring together resources from multidisciplinary leaders within the capacity evaluation area in order to reduce the barriers that vulnerable Decision Makers face when accessing services. 

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Registration $35 - Recording Available

No charge for Estate Planning Council of Canada Members

Guests are welcome - this event is for Professional Advisors only.

Membership Information

Douglas Buchmayer

Partner, Gowling WLG