The Dower Act protects a spouse if the couple’s home is owned by the other spouse. It applies to a “homestead” which is a parcel of land where the owner lives or has lived. The Dower Act became law in Alberta over one hundred years ago. The last substantial reforms were in 1948. The Alberta Law Reform Institute's (ALRI) research and consultation shows that the Dower Act functions largely as intended, but it is outdated [...]
The law distinguishes between persons born i n wedlock and persons born out of wedlock. The distinctions are to the disadvantage of the person born out of wedlock, and we see no reason why the law should not do what it can to remove t h a t disadvantage. To that end, we will propose that the legal distinction between legitimate children and illegitimate children be done away with.
Western Canada Law Reform Agencies (WCLRA) consists of the British Columbia Law Institute, the Alberta Law Reform Institute, the Law Reform Commission of Saskatchewan and the Manitoba Law Reform Commission. In its first report, WCLRA recommends uniformity of certain key provisions in each western province’s statute governing enduring powers of attorney (EPAs). Apart from these proposed uniform provisions, it is intended that each province’s statute will remain unique. The areas in which WCLRA proposes uniformity [...]
Western Canada Law Reform Agencies (WCLRA) consists of the British Columbia Law Institute, the Alberta Law Reform Institute, the Law Reform Commission of Saskatchewan and the Manitoba Law Reform Commission. In its first report, WCLRA recommends uniformity of certain key provisions in each western province’s statute governing enduring powers of attorney (EPAs). Apart from these proposed uniform provisions, it is intended that each province’s statute will remain unique. The areas in which WCLRA proposes uniformity [...]
The Alberta Law Reform Institute is considering whether to prepare a report and recommendations for the adoption of additional safeguards against abuse of Enduring Powers of Attorney (“EPAs”). In order that its consideration may be properly informed, the Institute solicits the comments and advice of the reader on these two questions: Should the law provide additional safeguards against abuse of Enduring Powers of Attorney (“EPAs”)? If the law should provide additional safeguards, what should the [...]
A person who creates a trust is entitled to give the trustees investment powers that are as broad or as narrow as the trust creator considers appropriate. A trust portfolio consisting only of assets identified in section 5 of the Trustee Act would be described as conservative and over the long term the return on such a portfolio would be significantly lower than the return that an investor could realize by applying ordinary principles of long-term prudent [...]
Wills are occasionally excluded from probate because their execution does not comply strictly with the formalities required by the Wills Act. This paper is to determine whether or not provision should be made for admitting to probate some or all wills that do not strictly comply with the formalities but which testators nonetheless intend to constitute their wills. This paper raises the question of whether or not some provisions should be made that would allow a [...]
This report discusses the position of posthumously conceived children under the law of succession in Alberta and outlines some possible options for reform. It is unlikely that parentage can be established for posthumously conceived children under Alberta`s Family Law Act, and therefore the link for inheritance purposes is missing. Even if parentage could be established, the fact that reproduction occurs sometime after the death of one of the parents brings in other factors affecting whether and [...]
Estate administration is the job of gathering the assets of the person deceased, paying the debts and distributing the estate to the persons entitled by will or the intestate succession legislation. Often the personal representative [PR] will be a family member who may have no previous experience of such a job and will also be dealing with the death of a family member at the same time. Surveys have found that the job of a [...]
