1977
Called to the Ontario Bar
Blair L. Botsford – BA, LLB, MA, TEP
Blair’s private client practice includes a wide range of advice and services related to:
- Wills (single, multiple, mutual)
- Trusts (inter vivos, testamentary, Henson, disability, spousal/joint partner, alter ego, charitable, cottage, insurance)
- Estate and business succession planning
- Charitable gift planning and establishment of private foundations
- Powers of attorney for property and care
- Disability and advance care planning
- Probate and estate administration
- Trust and power of attorney administration
- Guardianship applications (adult and minors)
- Facilitation of multi-party estate and business succession planning meetings
- Multi-jurisdictional trust and estate matters
Committed to helping people resolve Will, trust and estate disputes in an efficient and cost-effective manner, Blair also offers alternative dispute resolution services as part of her practice.
Experience
- Regularly acts for individuals, business owners, professionals and executives with respect to complex estate and succession planning matters
- Regularly advises executors, trustees, guardians and attorneys for property and care with respect to their duties and responsibilities
- Regularly advises beneficiaries of trusts and estates with respect to their rights
- Acts as agent for lawyers and law firms both in Canada and outside as well as advising lawyers and firms with respect to trust and estate matters
- Previously practiced as a partner at two Canadian national law firms as well as practiced at a prominent international law firm based in Bermuda
- Previously acted as outside counsel to a Canadian national financial institution with respect to conflict resolution in Will, power of attorney, trust and estate matters
Insights
- Trusts and Real Property Registration, Estates Trusts and Pensions Journal
- International Estate and Succession Case Study, PTEP Journal
- Enhancing Canadian Trusts Through International Trust Tools, PTEP Journal
- Gratuitous Transfers and Presumptions, PTEP Journal
- “Bare Trusts and Trusts that are Barely There”, STEP Journal
- “Long Term Care and Visitor Restrictions in a Time of Pandemic and Beyond”, OBA Elder Law Section
- “Real Estate Meets Trust Law: Land Registration Ontario Style”, OBA Estates and Trusts Section
- “Milne Estate: An Inconvenient Marriage of Legal Concepts”, STEP Journal
- “Will and Probate Planning”, Miller Thomson on Estate Planning, Carswell
- “Discretionary Trusts & Final Termination Provisions”, OBA Estates and Trusts Section
- “Richardson Estate Review”, OBA Trusts and Estates Section
- “Carlisle Estate Revisited”, OBA Trusts and Estates Section
Activities and Affiliations
- Law Society of Ontario
- Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
- International Bar Association
- Canada and Ontario Bar Associations (estates, tax and elder law sections)
- Toronto Estate Planning Council
- Toronto Law Association