Gifts, Resulting Trusts, and Estate Planning in Ontario: Lessons from Pecore and Recent Cases

Ontario courts carefully scrutinize gifts and gratuitous transfers between parents and adult children using the presumption of resulting trust established in Pecore v. Pecore. This blog explains the key legal principles, highlights recent decisions like Balkisson v. Sandy and Doherty v. Doherty, and shows why documenting intent, structuring joint ownership properly, and reviewing beneficiary designations are essential steps in a modern Ontario estate plan.