The Financial Post quotes Andrea Tratnik
Beard Winter LLP estate and trust planning lawyer Andrea Tratnik is quoted in the Financial Post in the article “Case law conflict has potential to make will disputes more common”.
In the article, Andrea comments on two recent cases, Calmusky v. Calmusky, and Mak (Estate) v. Mak. Both cases involve siblings disagreeing over how their parent’s estate should be divided.
Says Andrea in the article: “Never assume that your family will get along after you pass away, especially if you leave a confusing and uncertain estate plan. I think that’s such [an easy] way to break a family apart.”
“The Calmusky case was such an unwelcome surprise because it just kind of went against every legal principle that [had] been adopted and in place until that point,” she adds.
“Even with assets that are more nominal in value, I think it’s important to go through the process just to save your beneficiaries the hassle or the uncertainty of trying to figure out what exactly it was you were intending,” says Andrea.
Andrea Tratnik is an associate in the firm’s Trusts and Estates group. She is a qualified Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) as designated by the internationally recognized Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). If you are looking for advice on estate administration, please contact Andrea at atratnik@beardwinter.com.