Estate & Succession Planning

Estate Planning for Blended Families

Nadia runs a successful consulting business in downtown Calgary. It struggled a bit during the pandemic, but is rebounding nicely. Recently divorced, Nadia lives with her three school-aged children and is also a part-time caregiver to her ailing mother who lost her husband to cancer three years ago. A typical day for Nadia is one of constant juggling between her duties as an entrepreneur, mother, and caregiver. And she is not alone.

If you own a vacation property, this provides information on the tax consequences of selling a second home and highlights important estate planning considerations, if your plan is to keep your vacation property in the family for the next generation.

You have devoted yourself to providing for your family and saving for a comfortable retirement, but have you also planned for what would happen if you were no longer around to take care of things or if you became incapacitated? While there are a number of legitimate reasons for avoiding the issue – ranging from “I don’t have time” to “it’s a difficult topic to think about” – estate planning is too important to ignore.

While there are no death or estate taxes in Canada, provincial probate fees (also referred to as probate taxes) may be imposed on the value of parts of a deceased’s estate assets. This article explains the process, advantages, and costs of probate, and provides strategies to minimize probate taxes with probate-planning strategies.