Author: Chris Cook

Christopher Cook is an associate lawyer at de VRIES LITIGATION LLP. He obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in June 2022. Prior to law school, Christopher completed a Bachelor of Arts degree specializing in philosophy at the University of Toronto, and a Master of Arts degree in philosophy at the University of Western Ontario.

When Will a Court “Combine” Separate Proceedings?

Litigation is complicated, and parties sometimes end up getting involved in a multitude of separate, but nevertheless related, proceedings. When this happens, and depending on the circumstances, courts may choose to “link” or “combine” the related proceedings, for the sake of efficiency and overall convenience. Rule 6 of the Rules of Civil Procedure deals with […]

Court Procedure

Probating vs. Interpreting Wills: What’s the Difference?

In the good ol’ days (before the 90’s), Ontario had two separate courts which were responsible for handling matters relating to wills and estates: the Surrogate Court and the Superior Court. The Surrogate Court had strict jurisdiction to deal with probate matters, such as determining whether a will was valid. In contrast, questions about the

Court Applications to Interpret a Will or Trust, Court Procedure, Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Legal Resources, Probate

Mirror Wills and Mutual Wills: Cooperative Estate Planning

For many, marriage represents the intermingling of lives, families, and assets. It can also mean coordinating estate plans. Two common forms of coordinated estate plans are mirror wills and mutual wills – both are particularly useful if the couple have children, either together or from prior relationships. Knowing the difference between these two types of

Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, Estate Planning
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