Legal Reference Materials & Blog | Calgary | KH

Real Estate • February 22, 2023

Property Rights Statutes Amendment Act, 2022 – an Update to Adverse Possession Law in Alberta

The Alberta Property Rights Statutes Amendment Act, 2022 (the “Act”), came into force on December 15, 2022. The Act amends three existing Alberta statutes: the Land Titles Act, the Law of Property Act and the Limitations Act, with the effect of updating the law regarding adverse possession in order to protect registered private landowners’ property…

A miniature house and a gavel. The Dower Act is a piece of legislation that provides certain protections to spouses in real estate transactions in Canada

Real Estate • January 31, 2023

When Does the Dower Act Apply in Real Estate Transaction?

The Dower Act has been in place in Alberta for over a century and was originally designed to protect the rights of a wife who was unable to own property. If the husband decided to sell the property, the wife could not be evicted. This legislation was created in response to the possibility of a…

Real Estate • January 24, 2023

New Residential Anti-Flipping Rules Implemented By Federal Government

The Federal government’s new anti-flipping tax rules were passed into law on December 15, 2022 when Bill C-32 received Royal Assent and was legislated as the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2022. These rules have essentially increased the cost of house flipping in Canada. Under the Act, a “flipped property” means “a housing unit of…

Real Estate • January 12, 2023

The Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act

The Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act (the "Act") and the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Regulations (the “Regulations”) (collectively, the “Legislation”) came into force on January 1, 2023 and affect contracts for the purchase of residential property entered into after this date. The Act prohibits non-Canadians…

A couple estate planning and creating a personal directive with the help of legal advice from a lawyer

Wills & Estates • December 12, 2022

Estate Planning: What Is a Personal Directive?

The first thing that typically comes to mind when people think about estate planning is a will. Although a legally valid and up-to-date will is a necessary component of estate planning, it’s far from sufficient. A will only protects your interests after you die; it does not protect your interests if you lose capacity and…

Close-up of a hand holding pen and filling out a form

Real Estate • November 2, 2022

What Is Title Insurance in Alberta?

Protection from the Unknown When you’re buying a new home or property, it can be an exciting experience. But it also exposes buyers to risks. There are many ways prospective buyers can protect their investments from known problems, but what about the unknown? One option for securing your investment in residential real estate in Alberta…

Lawyer explaining the importance of appointing a personal representative.

Wills & Estates • October 28, 2022

What Is a Personal Representative and How Do I Appoint One?

Developing your will can be complicated. Depending on where all of your assets are, it can take a while to create a plan to manage all of them in a way that adequately sets out your intentions after you’re gone. However, once your will is developed, who will make sure your requests are followed through…

A hand signing the bottom of a will when estate planning

Wills & Estates • October 26, 2022

How to Prepare a Will

Life events happens, some of which we can control, and others are totally out of our control. Some of these events that we have control over are, deciding to obtain academic degrees, getting married and having children. Death on the other hand is inevitable and we have no control over it. The thought of planning…

A close up of a hand reaching for a file folder labelled estate planning

Wills & Estates • October 26, 2022

What Do I Need to Consider When Estate Planning?

When many of us think of the future, our thoughts may turn to our children growing up, growing old with the one we love most, or pursuing new passions after retirement. However, while these are all important, we also need to look beyond that and consider what will happen to our estate once we are…

A power of attorney document laying on a desk with a pen and pair of glasses sitting on top

Wills & Estates • October 26, 2022

What is an Enduring Power of Attorney?

Who Makes Financial Decisions for You When You Can’t? It’s easy to put off planning for the future, but an enduring power of attorney is an important part of organizing your estate if anything were to happen to you. An enduring power of attorney allows someone to make financial decisions for you if you lose…