Glossary

In Wills and Powers of Attorney

A capacity assessor is someone who has special training and has been approved by the government to decide if people are mentally incapable. This can be a doctor, nurse, psychologist, occupational therapist, or social worker. They assess a person’s mental capacity and decide if the person is able to make decisions about their property, personal care, or both.

You must pay for the assessment. The fee usually depends on things like the person’s profession and expertise. The Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee has a list of capacity assessors in Ontario.

In Wills and Powers of Attorney

A clearance certificate is a document that an estate trustee gets from Canada Revenue Agency. It confirms that all money the person who died owed to the Canada Revenue Agency has been paid.

In Wills and Powers of Attorney

A codicil is a legal document that you create to make small changes to your will. For example, if you want to:

• change the amount of money you’re leaving someone
• add or remove a beneficiary.

A codicil is made in the same way as a will. But it’s a separate legal document.

In Criminal Law, Family Law, Wills and Powers of Attorney

When a document is “commissioned”, it is signed in front of a commissioner of oaths. A commissioner of oaths has the power to certify a document that presents what someone says is true, such as an affidavit.

In Wills and Powers of Attorney

A common-law relationship is one where 2 people live together in a marriage-like relationship, without being legally married.