Estates, Wills and Trusts

A Snapshot of Our Recent Activity — Fall 2022

Profile of Martin Côté Martin Côté is a lawyer, and a partner in our Civil and Commercial Litigation practice. He is the author of the fall edition of our revamped newsletter. Over the past few years, he has developed extensive expertise, especially in defamation cases and in matters related to university education. Have a look […]

Thawing the Big Freeze: Bill 2 and Accessibility to Joint Accounts on Death

On June 6, 2022, the Quebec legislator enacted an Act respecting remittance of deposits of money to account co-holders who are spouses or former spouses [Act]. That is part of the wide-reaching Bill 2, An Act respecting family law reform with regard to filiation and amending the Civil Code in relation to personality rights and […]

A Snapshot of our Recent Activity — Business Law

It is my pleasure to write this introduction to our summer 2021 newsletter. The timing is pretty optimal since the firm, including our Commercial Litigation group, was on a roll for the first six months of the year. Our team has grown, with three new lawyers to respond to clients’ needs: Médgine Gourdet, who has […]

The Practice of Notaries in Times of Coronavirus

As is the case for many industries, notaries are confronted with many challenges due to the crisis related to COVID-19 virus which is affecting the entire province. While notaries are considered an essential service according to the list established by the Quebec government, the ministerial order 2020-010 dated March 27, 2020 allows them, during the […]

Impact of COVID-19 on Estate Planning: Quebec is Ahead of the Curve

While we are witnessing the unfolding of unprecedented times, the coronavirus pandemic should also serve as a stark reminder of the importance of keeping your estate planning documents current. Although we do not presently and, perhaps will not for some time in the future, have the luxury of face-to-face personal meetings with our clients to […]

The burden of proof when contesting a will

A will is an important document, that must be drafted by a person capable of expressing directions without any undue influence, otherwise its validity could be challenged before the courts. When such a dispute occurs, the party attacking the validity of the will has to adduce evidence supporting that claim on a balance of probabilities: […]

Don’t forget your de facto spouse in your estate planning!

A periodical review of one’s personal affairs never hurts. Doing so, you should be aware of a rule of Quebec law that could have devastating consequences. If you are in a de facto spousal relationship, unless you dictate so in a will, your surviving spouse will have no right in your estate. Marilyn Piccini Roy […]

An Estate Planning Resolution for 2018

A most common new year’s resolution focuses on the dreaded letter “D” for “diet”. However there are two other words starting with “D” that should be included in your new year’s resolutions and those are “disability” and “death”. If you have an up-to-date estate plan in place, you are on solid footing for 2018. However, […]

A great year end for RSS’s Business Law Group

An overview of the wide variety of deals and cases that RSS handles each and every day. From helping startups and assisting individuals to working along with major corporations, we provide the complete scope of legal services. Click here to read more (PDF).

The Impact of the EU Succession Regulation on Canadians

Do you own assets in Europe — even mere joint ownership in an apartment? Are you likely to be transferred there by your employer for a few years? In either case, a new European Union Regulation could have sweeping impact on your estate, triggering the need to amend your will. The EU Succession Regulation (also known […]