Blair L. Botsford

Blair Botsford

Principal
Bar Admissions and Qualifications
  • Ontario, 1997
  • Bermuda, 2012 (non-practising)
Education and Designations
  • BA (Hons. Econ), University of Waterloo, 1990
  • LLB, University of Western Ontario, 1994
  • MA (Econ.), McMaster University, 1995
  • TEP, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, 2007
  • Certificate in Conflict Management, University of Windsor, 2018
  • LLM, University of London (Candidate 2028)

Overview

Plan well. Live well. Leave an organized estate. This has been my mantra across my career as I coach domestic and international clients through their estate and succession planning process. The goal is peace of mind for clients, as well as their families and decision makers, knowing reasonable steps to minimize risks and reduce potential conflict have been taken. I take a similar approach to advising fiduciaries such as executors, trustees, attorneys for property or care, and guardians so they can maximize the effectiveness of their role.

My practice includes a range of trust, estate and private client work: estate planning and administration, trust planning and administration, powers of attorney and incapacity planning, Wills, disability planning and guardianship, charitable gift planning, business succession planning, family office structuring, and related tax issues. Clients include individuals, business owners, charities and financial institutions, as well as lawyers and law firms.

Memberships

  • Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
  • International Bar Association (IBA)
  • Canadian Tax Foundation (CTF)
  • Canadian/Ontario Bar Associations (Tax, Trusts and Estates, Elder Law sections)
  • Verity Women’s Club

Activities and Affiliations

  • STEP Worldwide Membership Committee
  • STEP Toronto Membership Committee
  • Personal Tax & Estate Planning Journal Editorial Board

Insights

  • “When Harrison Met Rowena: A Fictionalized International Estate and Succession Planning Case Study”, Personal Tax & Estate Planning Journal (Part 1), 2024
  • “Trusts and Real Property Registration“, Estates, Trusts & Pensions Journal, 2024
  • “Domestic use of Foreign Trust Structures”, Personal Tax & Estate Planning Journal, 2023
  • “Gratuitous Transfers and Presumptions: The Journey from Pecore to Mak (Estate) and Beyond, Personal Tax & Estate Planning Journal, 2021
  • “Consent, Capacity and Medical Assistance in Dying: Legal Issues that Transcend Financial Means, Personal Tax and Estate Planning Journal, 2021
  • “Beneficiary Designations: Pillar One of Potentially Perilous Estate Planning Strategies”, OBA Deadbeat, 2023
  • “Real Estate Meets Trust Law: Land Registration Ontario Style”, OBA Deadbeat, 2020
  • “Disability Support: Guardianship Applications”, The Lawyer’s Daily, 2020
  • “Preserving Disability Support Benefits and Post Mortem Planning”, The Lawyer’s Daily, 2019
  • “Milne Estate: An Inconvenient Marriage of Legal Concepts”, STEP Journal, November 2018
  • “Managing Critical Communications: Mastering Personalities and Situations”, OBA, November 2017
  • “Estate and Business Succession Case Study”, OBA Wills/Estates/Trusts Fundamentals, October 2016
  • “Will and Probate Planning” chapter in the Miller Thomson on Estate Planning reference series published by Carswell in September 2012 (Editor and author until 2015)
  • “Discretionary Trusts & Final Termination Provisions”, OBA Deadbeat, November 2012
  • “Trust Compliance Post Antle”, Miller Thomson – Wealth Matters, 2010
  • “The Long Arm of the CRA: New Policy for Acquiring Taxpayer Information”, Miller Thomson – Charities Newsletter, 2010
  • “Multiple Testamentary Documents”, LSUC CLE paper, 2010
  • “Insurance Trusts”, OBA CLE paper, 2010
  • “Richardson Estate Review”, OBA Deadbeat, 2009
  • “Carlisle Estate Revisited”, OBA Deadbeat, 2008

Presentations & Webinars

  • “To Serve and Account: Exploring Legal Obligations of Fiduciaries to Account for their Decisions, Estate Planning Council of Canada webinar, 2024
  • “Disability and Incapacity Planning”, GTAAFN webinar, 2023
  • “When Minors Inherit”, STEP Global webinar, 2023
  • “Canadian Estates and Trusts Update“, STEP Bermuda – in person, 2023
  • “Tales from Toronto: Trust, Estate and Tax Traps with Budget 2022 Update” STEP Cayman – in person, 2022
  • “Mastering Difficult Conversations in Estates, Trusts and Business Succession”, Stitt Feld Handy Group workshop, co-presenter and co-program developer, 2017
  • “Mastering Difficult Conversations in Elder Care”, Stitt Feld Handy Group workshop, co-presenter and co-program developer, 2017
  • “Estate Planning for Non-Traditional Families”, OBA Summit presentation, February 2015
  • “Estate Administration Panel Discussion”, STEP Bermuda Conference presentation February 2012

Presentations & Webinars

  • Spending time with friends
  • Movies, music and reading
  • Travel
  • Walking and gardening