Estate Law Roundup: Key Issues for 2026

For more than 135 years, the Toronto Lawyers' Association, located within the Courthouse Library, has represented the interests of lawyers practising in the City of Toronto. The association was founded to support its members in three key areas: Knowledge, Advocacy, and Community. To uphold these pillars, the association offers a year-round mix of online and in-person education programs for lawyers, hosts both free and paid events to foster in-person networking, and submits advocacy pieces on behalf of its members to the Ontario bench and bar, all levels of government, and the broader public.

Jordan joined Hull & Hull LLP in 1999 as counsel. He was designated by the Law Society of Ontario as one of Ontario’s first Certified Specialists in Estates and Trusts Law. Since 2011, he has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Canada, winning Osgoode’s outstanding adjunct faculty teaching award. Lexpert rates Jordan as one of its top recommended estate lawyers in Canada, and he is also recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada. Jordan Atin is the co-creator of eState Planner (e-stateplanner.com), will-planning software used by over 300 law firms in Ontario. He is a past chair of the Ontario Bar Association – Trusts and Estates Section and a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Jordan was the inaugural winner of the OBA’s Hoffstein Prize in recognition of his contributions and achievements in the area of wills, trusts, and estates. He is a frequent presenter and chair at STEP, Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto Lawyers Association, Ontario Bar Association, and Law Society programs on estate matters. Jordan is a contributing author to the well-known text Estate Litigation, and his articles are referred to in many of Canada’s leading estates texts, including Widdifield on Executors and Trustees, Feeney’s Canadian Law of Wills, Drafting Wills in Ontario, and Oosterhoff on Wills and Succession. Jordan’s book for non-lawyers, The Family War: Winning the Inheritance Battle, has been featured on Canada AM, BNN, and in dozens of Canadian and U.S. newspapers. In addition to acting as counsel to Hull & Hull LLP, Jordan provides will planning and estate administration exclusively with Atin Estate Law.

Nick Esterbauer joined Hull & Hull as an associate in 2014 upon his call to the bar. Before joining the firm, Nick articled with us after summering at a litigation boutique specializing in family and commercial law. Nick holds a J.D. and a B.A. (Hons.) from Queen’s University. During law school, Nick volunteered with Queen’s Legal Aid and was a student caseworker at the Queen’s University Elder Law Clinic. Nick has experience assisting clients with matters involving all aspects of estates, trusts, and capacity law, including will challenges, dependants' support claims, fiduciary accounting disputes, guardianship applications, life insurance disputes, international estate administration issues, and trust claims, and has assisted the partners of the firm with matters heard by all levels of Court in Canada. Nick is the co-author of various papers and other publications, including “Moore v. Sweet: Implications for Insurance and Estate Planning Professionals” (co-authored with Ian M. Hull and published in Insurance Planning, 2019), “Advising clients regarding the succession of vacation properties,” (co-authored with Ian M. Hull and published in Trusts & Trustees, 2018), “Medical Assistance in Dying and Estate and Insurance Planning” (co-authored with Ian M. Hull and published in CALU InfoExchange, 2018), “Planning Considerations for Digital Assets” (co-authored with Ian M. Hull and Suzana Popovic-Montag, and published in the Estates, Trusts, & Pensions Journal, 2019), and the Canada Chapter of the Chambers and Partners Global Private Wealth Guide (co-authored with Ian M. Hull and Suzana Popovic-Montag).

Doug draws on his litigation experience and deep understanding of law firm digital infrastructure and operations to deliver CNSL.ai’s training and implementation systems. He guides lawyers and legal staff to adopt AI tools practically—with a focus on strengthening client relationships, automating repetitive workflows, and reducing lost time.

Ian Hull is one of Canada’s leading estate litigators. He has successfully represented clients at every level of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He was the Toronto Lawyers Association Honsberger Award winner in 2018 and received the Ontario Bar Association Award for Distinguished Service in 2020. His work has been recognized internationally at the highest levels. In North America, he is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only fellowship of exceptional trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds from the United States and Canada. Ian was also recently inducted into the Canadian Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, whose members are amongst the most respected civil, commercial, and labour Alternative Dispute Resolution professionals across Canada. Ian regularly presents on estate law issues both in Canada and abroad. He is also the author of five books on estate law issues, including the seminal Probate Practice, now in its fifth edition. Ian is a co-editor of Feeney on Wills and has written dozens of articles. Ian is certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a specialist in estate and trust law and civil litigation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, and the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law. Ian and Jordan Atin co-founded Hull e-State Planner, a software designed to make the estate planning process simple, efficient, and client-friendly. Ian was called to the bar in 1990 and co-founded Hull & Hull with his father, Rodney Hull, in 1998. He has an LL.B. from the University of Windsor and an Honours B.A. from the University of Western Ontario.

Ray Leclair was appointed Vice President, public affairs in 2012. He provides input on, implements, and reports on all government relations and public affairs-related functions. Ray started at LAWPRO in 2008 as Vice President, TitlePLUS. Prior to joining LAWPRO, Ray was General Counsel for the Kanata Research Park Corporation and has practised in both major national law firms and as a sole practitioner; he was also a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa Law School and Cité Collégiale. Ray was called to the Ontario Bar in 1984 after completing an LL.B. at the University of Ottawa. He received the 2024 OBA Distinguished Service Award and the 2022 OBA Award of Excellence in Real Estate. Ray frequently speaks on risk management and other legal practice topics in French and English.

As one of the country’s premier estate litigators with almost 25 years of litigation experience, she has successfully represented clients at every level of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Trained in mediation at Harvard Law School, Suzana also maintains a specialized mediation practice through Hull Estate Mediation Inc., focusing on pre-death and post-death estate resolutions. She is a frequent blogger and podcaster and speaks regularly at conferences across Canada. Suzana is the author of numerous academic articles on estates and trusts issues – and her articles are referred to in many of Canada’s leading estates texts.  She is a co-editor of Wills & Trusts Law Reports (U.K.) and Trust Quarterly Review (U.K.). Suzana also is the author and co-author of several academic texts, most notably Probate Practice (5th Edition), Feeney’s Canadian Law of Wills (4th Edition), Challenging the Validity of Wills (2nd Edition) and Power of Attorney Litigation (2nd Edition). Suzana has been a Lexpert Ranked lawyer since 2012 and recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada since 2009 in the area of Trust and Estates. She has also been selected as a recommended attorney by Global Law Experts. Suzana was called to the bar in 1997. She has an LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario and an Honours B.A. in Economics and Math from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Doreen So is a partner at Hull & Hull LLP, having joined the firm as an associate in 2013. Before this, she articled with the Office of the Children's Lawyer, gaining experience in estates, trusts, civil, family law, and child protection litigation. She also briefly practiced family law. Doreen earned her Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia, where she studied English and the sociology of the family. She is a member of both the Ontario Bar Association and the Canadian Bar Association. In addition to her legal practice, Doreen contributes to the "Hull on Estates" podcast series, discussing various legal topics and case analyses.