This site requires Javascript.

Please enable Javascript before proceeding:

Firefox

  1. In the FireFox address bar, type about:config.
  2. Look for the javascript.enabled setting.
  3. Set it to true by right-clicking and pressing toggle.

Internet Explorer

  1. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options, then click the Security tab.
  2. Click the Internet Zone.
  3. If you do not have to customize your Internet security settings, click Default Level. Then do step 4.
  4. If you have to customize your Internet security settings, follow these steps:
    a. Click Custom Level.
    b. In the Security Settings - Internet Zone dialog box, click Enable for Active Scripting in the Scripting section.
  5. Click the Back button to return to the previous page, and then click the Refresh button to run scripts.

Chrome

  1. In the Chrome address bar, type chrome://settings/content/javascript.
  2. Adjust the toggle so that javascript is allowed.
  3. Close the Settings tab and Refresh the page.

 

Unusual Will Challenges: What You Need to Know

with Lynne Butler

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Learning Options:

Live webinar with chat
includes 60 day replay
9:00 am – 10:30 am (Pacific)
10:00 am – 11:30 am (Mountain)
11:00 am – 12:30 pm (Central)
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm (Eastern)
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm (Atlantic)
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm (Newfoundland)

*This program features real-time video of the presenter with synchronized presentation slides, and a chat feature that allows for live Q & A. SK attendees please verify whether you align with Central (MB) or Mountain (AB) time based on season and location.

Registration Fee:

Save $25
Register on or before November 28, 2025
$150.00 + HST

Register after November 28, 2025
$175.00 + HST

Groups Save!

Register 3+ attendees and save up to 25%. See our group discounts here. Contact jennifer@seminarpartners.ca.

CPD Credit Hours:

Credit Hours

CPD Hours (live presentation*)

ON: This program contains 1.0 Substantive hour and 0.5 Professionalism hours.

BC: This program has been approved for 1.5 CPD hours, including 0.5 hours of professional responsibility and ethics, client care and relations, and/or practice management.

SK: This program qualifies for 1.5 CPD hours (0.5 of which qualify as ethics hours) under the Law Society of SK CPD Policy.

Lawyers in other mandatory CPD jurisdictions may count their attendance towards their CPD requirement/plan.

Seminar Partners is an Accredited Provider of Professionalism Content by the Law Society of Ontario and a pre-approved CPD Provider of the Law Society of British Columbia.

*The circumstances under which CPD credit will be recognized for watching archive programs vary by province. If you are viewing the recording of the live webinar, please verify with your law society the circumstances under which they will recognize CPD hours for the recording.

Technical Information:

Live webinars allow you to view faculty, see their presentation slides, and ask questions by chat. You will need a current web browser (Chrome (Chrome works best), Safari, Firefox), a wired (better than wireless) connection to the Internet of at least 2 Mbps. You can test your internet speed/bandwidth here. If you miss the live program, you can access the archive, at your convenience, for 60 days.

Satisfaction Guarantee Satisfaction Guarantee:
At Seminar Partners, we’re proud of the quality of our programs and presenters. If, after attending a program in its entirety, you are not satisfied that the program has enhanced your understanding of the subject, and you notify us in writing the same day, we will give you a credit toward another program of comparable price.

Who Should Attend

This program is ideal for estate planners and litigators who want to deepen their understanding of novel will challenges, so they can advise clients with confidence.

About the Program

Think you know all the ways a will can be contested? Think again! In this lively, highly practical webinar, experienced trusts and estates practitioner Lynne Butler dives into the unusual and creative ways that wills have and are being challenged in Canada. From drafting mistakes and forgotten promises to family secrets and quirky legal loopholes, Lynne will explain how these challenges arise, when they may succeed, and how to guard and defend against them in your own files. By the end of this seminar, you will be better able to:

  • Evaluate when a testator’s misunderstanding or mistaken belief may invalidate a will.
  • Understand the limits of testamentary freedom and how public policy may intersect with discriminatory or questionable bequests.
  • Identify how factual “unknowns” like secret relationships, hidden heirs, or adoptions can give rise to post-death challenges.
  • Evaluate when equitable remedies may operate alongside or instead of validity challenges.
  • Understand the rare but not entirely theoretical pre-death will challenge and the hurdles involved.
  • Develop strategies to mitigate risk when drafting or defending wills exposed to unusual challenges.

Join us and learn from atypical cases how to more fully protect your client’s intentions. Don’t miss this fun, practical roadmap for identifying and assessing unusual challenges and mitigating drafting and litigation risk. Registration is limited!

Meet Your Presenter

Linda Jensen

Lynne Butler is a lawyer, mediator, and writer. She graduated from UBC Law School and was called to the Bar in Alberta in 1986. After more than 20 years, thousands of wills drawn and hundreds of estates probated, Lynne joined the estates department of a leading trust company for a further seven years. She now practises law in her home province of Newfoundland and Labrador, working exclusively in wills, estates, probate, elder law, and trusts. Lynne has been interviewed by Global TV, BNN, CBC Radio, the Wall Street Journal, the Globe & Mail, the Vancouver Province, the Edmonton Journal, the Toronto Star and the Montreal Gazette, among other media. She is the former co-host of The Law Show and is the author of ten books about estate planning. She was the reviewer for Newfoundland and Labrador for LexisNexis Drafting Wills in Canada: A Lawyer's Practical Guide, 3rd Edition. She has chaired the Wills and Estates Section of the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar Admissions Course since 2019.

Schedule (Eastern)

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Welcome and Introduction

Mistake by the Testator or Drafting Solicitor

Public Policy and Testamentary Freedom

Mutual Wills and Constructive/Resulting Trusts

Unknown Circumstances and Hidden Facts

Conflict with Contractual Obligations

Practice Considerations & Litigation Risks

Program Wrap-up and Evaluation

Praise for Lynne Butler

“Super practical. I learned a lot.”

“Excellent presenter - well organized, thorough and very practical. Appreciated all the personal examples and explanations she shared.”

“Lynne is my absolute favourite presenter! Fun, down to earth and I always learn something new.”

“Very informative, polished presentation. Top marks all around.”

“I've been doing wills work for 5 years and found everything useful. Would definitely recommend.”
Register
Returning Registrant

Registration Fees

All costs are in Canadian dollars before taxes.

HST/GST: 848208492

Until November 28, 2025

Unusual Will Challenges: What You Need to Know with Lynne Butler
$150.00

After November 28, 2025

Unusual Will Challenges: What You Need to Know with Lynne Butler
$175.00

Groups Save!

Register 3+ attendees and save up to 25%. See our group discounts here. Contact jennifer@seminarpartners.ca.

For program information contact:

Jennifer Snoyer at
Tel. 647.352.8633 or
1.866.606.4212
Email: jennifer@seminarpartners.ca

For technical information or assistance using this site contact:

Support Team at:
Tel: 613.723.1166
support@myconferencesuite.com