I am Ed Olkovich, a Toronto lawyer and Certified Specialist in Estates and Trusts Law. My blog has breakthrough ideas for estate planning and executors. I aim to provoke, propose and to persuade you to take action.
Latest Blog Posts
Action Steps Ask yourself these questions: 1. Do you want to talk or keep on fighting? 2. How much are you gambling on winning in court? When lawyers get involved in your dispute, they bring their own history and baggage … Continue reading
Do you remember scenes in war movies where soldiers approach the enemy, unarmed, holding a tattered white sheet? In war zones, when you raise the white flag, it means you can’t fire your weapons or be fired upon. The improper … Continue reading
Have you ever tried to solve a disagreement by arguing with a person? Your attitude, facial expressions and tone of voice may have made things worse. You end up angering that person, making it impossible to bring them to the … Continue reading
The trial is scheduled by the trial co-ordinator’s office. Depending on the jurisdiction, a trial date may not be set until at least six months after the pre-trial conference. This wait depends again on the length of the trial and … Continue reading
Here is the sequence of steps in a typical lawsuit: 1. Pleadings – set out all claims and defences 2. Production of evidence 3. Discovery/Deposition – cross-examination under oath 4. Undertakings – for further material 5. Pre-trial Conference with a … Continue reading
Bob: “You are my lawyer, Jack, and you have to know. Ron is going to fight to get what he wants.” Jack: “That’s why the secret to success is to find out what Ron wants and to see if you … Continue reading
Q: Why do so many legal disputes never get to the courtroom to be resolved? A: You stop paying someone to bang your head against a wall. Cases settle before trial because you risk so much if you lose. You … Continue reading
Remember Sam’s story from my previous post? The housekeeper’s position was that she was fired without legal cause in 2000. She claimed back wages were owed to her for fifteen months. This court process took years and consumed thousands of … Continue reading
Our legal system is based on democratic principles. In a free society we all have rights and obligations. In a lawsuit, judges dispense justice based on legal rules. Simply put, judges decide: • if you ran the red light, you … Continue reading
Court judges on television do it. Why can’t every judge just let you stand up and tell your story in court? In five minutes, it would all be over if the truth came out. After you give your evidence, the … Continue reading
