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Programs
Our continuing legal education is second to none, ensuring you are able to stay ahead of the curve. Browse our upcoming programs designed to enhance your wills and estates practice.
LESA Library
Did you know that the LESA Library contains the electronic version of the Alberta Wills and Estates Practice Manual as well as hundreds of papers from past programs? Click below for details and subscription options.
Resources
Browse our resources, including the Alberta Wills and Estates Practice Manual, Alberta Surrogate Forms, papers, and on-demand programs on topics such as estate administration, drafting, surrogate forms, estate accounting, trusts, tax issues, and more.
LESA Blog
Keep up with the latest news and LESA updates
New Trustee Act
The revamped Trustee Act will come into force on February 1, 2023. Lawyers practicing in wills and estates will need to understand the impacts of the new legislation and how it will affect their own practices and their clients. LESA is offering New Trustee Act as a half-day webinar on March 7, 2023 from …
Indigenous Leaders in the Alberta Legal Community Series | Justice Cheryl Arcand-Kootenay
This week, as part of our series highlighting the achievements of Indigenous members of the Alberta legal community, we would like to spotlight Justice Cheryl Arcand-Kootenay. Justice Cheryl Arcand-Kootenay is a Cree woman from the Kipohtakaw (Alexander) First Nation. She grew up on her First Nation with her community, parents, …
New Benefit for LESA Library Subscribers: 50% Off On-Demand Programs
We are happy to announce a new benefit for subscribers of the LESA Library. Whether you subscribe to one, two, or all six core areas of law, we are pleased to offer you 50% off our entire collection of on-demand programs. What are On-Demand Programs? LESA’s on-demand programs are recordings …
Alberta Revises the Title of its Superior Trial Court
With the passing of the late Queen Elizabeth II, we wish to express our deepest condolences to the Royal Family. Her Majesty dedicated over 70 years of her life to public service – the longest reigning Monarch in British history. As Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty was a much …
LESA Has Your Back: Surrogate Rules Amendments
On June 15, 2022, amendments made to Alberta’s Surrogate Rules, Alta Reg 130/1995, came into effect across the province. The key amendments replace the former Noncontentious (NC) forms with the new Grant Application (GA) forms, and introduce a new electronic application system called the Surrogate Digital Service. The new GA …
What to Expect in Alberta Courts: Current COVID Landscape
In March of 2020, the full force of the global pandemic resulted in restricted access to all Canadian courthouses. With the shift to working remotely, lawyers began communicating with clients via email and video chat, and court proceedings were moved to Webex.[1] Reduced capacity was maintained in Alberta courtrooms into …
LESA Refresher 2022 Papers Now Available
Papers are now available from LESA’s Refresher 2022: Wills and Estates. This past spring we hosted our annual LESA Refresher in the mountains. With a focus on wills and estates, attendees engaged in an in-depth exploration of estate planning, estate administration, and estate litigation issues. Topics included managing the court …
Let’s Agree to Disagree: Differing Canadian Perspectives on the Presumption of Resulting Trust and Beneficiary Designations | Paper Summary
It can be very difficult to challenge beneficiary designations. Until recently, the law in Alberta on this issue was unsettled, and jurisprudence in other provinces remains divided. Michael Klaray and Jordan Achtymichuk’s paper, from LESA’s Refresher 2022: Wills and Estates, “Let’s Agree to Disagree: Differing Canadian Perspectives on the Presumption …