CASE:  Hockney v. Kneeland, 2025 ONSC 1309 Mary Jane Hockney passed away in 2014, leaving her estate to be equally divided among her seven grandchildren. She appointed her lawyer, Mary Jane Kneeland, as the sole estate trustee, but over a decade later, approximately $150,000 of the estate remains undistributed. Despite repeated assurances, Kneeland failed to provide a proper accounting, blaming delays on lost files, tax issues, and personal circumstances. The beneficiaries filed multiple complaints with the Law Society of

Ontario Court Appoints Public Guardian and Trustee as Permanent Property Guardian for Elderly Man After Brother’s Financial Misconduct Case: Public Guardian and Trustee v. Hara, 2025 ONSC 145 (CanLII), The Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT) applied to be appointed as the permanent guardian of property for 91-year-old Fumio Hara, who has severe dementia and resides in long-term care. Fumio’s Power of Attorney (PoA) named his brothers, Gerald and Katsushi Hara, but Katsushi had not acted since 2022 due to

Ontario Court Dismisses Will Challenge, Orders Occupation Rent for Unauthorized Stay CASE: Canale v. Ziccardi, 2025 ONSC 607 (CanLII) Canale v. Ziccardi, 2024 ONSC 5393 (CanLII) The litigation began in 2017 when Rosemary Ziccardi filed a Guardianship Application for her mother, Elena Canale. In response, Jim Canale filed a cross-application for guardianship. On March 27, 2018, Justice Dunphy allowed Jim to amend his application to challenge Elena’s 2005 Will and Powers of Attorney, claiming she did not understand what

Court Rejects Costs Claim in Guardianship Case After Incapable Person’s Death CASE: Opalinski v. Opalinski, 2024 ONSC 5696 A very significant decision came out that has not been written about much. This proceeding primarily dealt with costs related to multiple legal battles surrounding Teresa Opalinski’s guardianship and estate. While the case summary details the broader context of the family dispute, the specific matter before the court in Opalinski v. Opalinski, 2024 ONSC 5696 was a motion to determine the

Ontario Court Grants Dependant’s Relief Claim, Awards Half of Estate to Common-Law Spouse After 53-Year Relationship CASE: Shiomi v. Jarvela, 2025 ONSC 468 Ronald Shiomi and Anna Maria Tocheri were in a common-law relationship for over 50 years but never legally married. They lived together in a home owned by Mr. Shiomi at the time of Ms. Tocheri’s death on May 9, 2022, at the age of 99. She left a will dated January 29, 2014, appointing Mr. Shiomi

MAID UPDATE: An expert committee assessing euthanasia cases in Canada’s largest province has found multiple instances where patients requested euthanasia in part due to social factors, such as feelings of isolation and worries about homelessness. This has sparked concerns regarding the approval processes for vulnerable individuals within the country’s assisted dying system. Ontario is the only province or territory in Canada that has published summaries of cases highlighting potential issues in euthanasia approvals. The following cases were of concern:

Daniel Walker of the Bobila Walker Law Cannabis Law Group was interviewed on Global News about the legalization of Cannabis in Canada.

The Associated Press recently reported that over three-quarters of individuals euthanized in 2023—when their death was not imminent—required disability support prior to their death, according to data from a presentation by the province’s chief coroner. This information was shared with AP by a researcher and a doctor on the condition of anonymity due to its sensitive nature. The data revealed that nearly 29% of those euthanized for non-terminal conditions lived in the poorest areas of Ontario, compared to 20%