Lopatka Law

Joint ownership can form part of estate planning and incapacity planning, but there are risks [we commonly speak with our clients about the 5D's]. New tax reporting requirements may require joint owners who are bare trustees to file income tax returns as bare trustees, failing which they may face significant penalties. This article explores this issue in greater detail.

Your estate planning may be creating unintended tax reporting obligations Has a parent added you as a joint owner to a bank account to assist them in managing their Finances? Have you participated in any other arrangement…

2023 will bring in some important changes to taxes and rules, including changes to the capital gains exemption for personal residences.

11 tax changes and new rules that will affect your finances in 2023 Many of the important tax figures in Canada have been substantially increased for 2023. Find out more.

From all of us, may your holidays be full of warmth and cheer, and your new year full of peace and joy.

Article on the considerations for when using your RRSPs to fund the purchase of your first home. https://financialpost.com/real-estate/first-time-homebuyers/what-first-time-homebuyers-need-to-know-about-using-rrsps-to-fund-a-down-payment

What first-time homebuyers need to know about using RRSPs to fund a down payment There are a few things to consider first before you deplete your retirement savings for a down payment

Great article for real estate investors on the principal residence exemption.

What you need to know as the CRA cracks down on principal residence exemptions Jamie Golombek: For a property to qualify as your principal residence, four criteria under the Income Tax Act must be satisfied

Estate planning laws in Alberta may be changing. A proposal has been made that the Wills and Succession Act be amended to allow step-child to apply for support from an estate.

Should Alberta Reform the Wills and Succession Act? The Alberta Law Reform Institute (ALRI) has published Family Maintenance and Support from the Estate of a Person Who Stood in the Place of a Parent, Final Re...

Good article on claiming expenses for home offices.

Everything you need to know about claiming home office expenses on your tax return Jamie Golombek: The CRA rejected my claim for employment expenses. Here's a review of the rules, along with the steps I've taken to fight my reassessment

Interesting article for businesses that received CERB and options for dealing with inquiries from the CRA.

What you can do when the CRA starts asking questions about your CERB relief Jamie Golombek: Letters are sure to set off a flurry of tax objections, and, in some cases, lead to litigation

We often act as Notary Publics and Commissioners for Oaths as part of providing legal services. We often get asked who is a Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths. Our recent post answers that question.

Who is and how to become a Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths Notary Public, Commissioner for Oaths. Notarize. Attest. Swear. Oath. Declare. Certify. Witness.

We often act as Notary Publics and Commissioners for Oaths as part of providing legal services. We often get asked why our stamps don't have an expiry date like other Notaries or Commissioners, and our recent post answers that question.

Why don't Lawyers have an expiry date on their Commissioner for Oaths Stamps Why don't Lawyers have an expiry date on their Commissioner for Oaths Stamps

Mandatory vaccinations raise a myriad of issues in the employment context, and while the issue has not been decided by the Courts, the author of this article outlines some of the reasons why an employee’s failure to vaccinate as required by a vaccination policy, in most circumstances, is grounds to be terminated for cause.

Howard Levitt: Why the unvaccinated will never win in court Courts are unlikely to go against prevalent public policy or incentivize unvaccinated employees

A good article which outlines some of the reasons to get mortgage pre-approval before looking to buy a new home.

http://moneywise.ca/a/ch-pms/what-is-a-mortgage-pre-approval-and-how-long-does-it-last?utm_source=syn_postmediastatic_mca&utm_medium=E&utm_campaign=moneywise_19032&utm_content=19032

What is a mortgage preapproval — and how long does it last? Getting preapproved is a must for serious home-hunters.

Online estimates are available for many of our flat fee standardized services [notary public and commissioner services, home buying and selling, estate planning [wills, power of attorney, personal directive], incorporations and corporate service].

Online Estimates Online estimates for home purchase costs, home sale costs, home mortgage costs, estate planning costs, wills costs, power of attorney costs, personal directives costs, incorporation costs, extra-provincial registration costs, registered office costs, corp

Our Reviews - Trusted Experience, Trusted Advice and Trusted Service.

Our Reviews - Trust Experience, Advice and Service We have been recognized as Best in Edmonton Real Estate Lawyer, Best in Edmonton Notary Public and Commissioner for Oaths, as a Leader in Law for our proficiency in Commercial Law and for our Advisory Excellence in Commercial Law. We also appreciate and h

Today residential and downtown speed limits in Edmonton have changed to 40km/hr.

New speed limit of 40 km/h in effect in Edmonton starting August 6 40 km/h is now the speed limit on most of Edmonton’s residential and downtown streets including parts of Whyte Avenue and Jasper Avenue.Safe speeds will help...

Want a say about Real Property rights, remedies and interests (ie. adverse possession) in Alberta? Now is your chance the tell the Legislative Assembly Real Property Committee.

https://www.assembly.ab.ca/assembly-business/committees/RP

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Family small business succession is about to become less costly with upcoming changes to the Income Tax Act.

Family businesses are built to be passed on. That just got easier and less costly The potential savings on wealth transfer taxes with Bill C-208 could amount to as much as $400,000

"Common-law" can have many different contexts from Federal Government tax and benefit context to family law and estate law rights context. In the family law and estate law context, in Alberta the rights and obligations respecting "common law" relationships can automatically arise by operation of law [the Adult Interdependent Relationship Act]. Some very helpful information on this webpage to help navigate this issue.

https://www.law-faqs.org/?s=Adult+interdependent+relationship

Search Results for “Adult interdependent relationship” Adult Interdependent Relationships General Questions Adult Interdependent Relationship Agreements Ending an Adult Interdependent Relationship Effect on Wills and Estates General Questions How is a common-law relationship defined in Alberta law? The term ‘common-law’ is often used to describe a c...

We are proud to announce that we have been recognized as a Best in Edmonton Real Estate Lawyer in the Best in Edmonton Review Guide.

https://www.bestinedmonton.com/best-real-estate-lawyer-edmonton/

After completing the IR Global screening process, we were are proud to announce we were selected to be the exclusive Commercial Law member for Western Canada as part of IR Global's multi-disciplinary professional services global network.​
https://www.irglobal.com/advisor/philip-lopatka/

News - IR Global RomaniaBanking & FinanceMay 6, 2021May 6, 2021 Bucharest Stock Exchange – the rising star of RomaniaForeward by Andrew Chilvers During the past two decades the key nations of Central and Eastern European (CEE) have grown significantly following moves to liberalise their economies. On average Polan...