Til Death Do Us Part… Or Not

This January, Kristine Anderson will present at the STEP Atlantic Canada Conference, in Halifax, exploring a topic that impacts a growing number of families: how relationship breakdowns intersect with legal obligations and estate planning.

While Canada’s divorce and marriage rates have declined in recent years, the rise of common‑law relationships and their separations add new layers of complexity. Married and common‑law couples are not treated the same across provinces, and the rules become even more challenging when estates involve multiple generations, multiple jurisdictions, or cross‑border assets.

Key topics include:

• How separation, divorce, or new relationships impact existing estate plans

• Pros and cons of domestic contracts

• Preparing for and navigating dependent relief claims

• Estate obligations created by separation agreements

• Equitable claims that may arise on relationship breakdown

• Strategies to protect assets transferred to the next generation

• Guardianship considerations for minor children

• Implications when a testator relocates

Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how to build resilient, conflict‑minimizing estate plans, even when relationships don’t last “’til death do us part.”