The potential dangers of adding children as joint tenants

Many people like to add the name of a child, or children, to their home. The hope is to avoid probate fees on the death of the parent, and have the asset go directly to the children.

However, before you make this decision, be aware of the following potential danger:

• First, if you later have a change of heart and do not wish to leave property to that child, it may be impossible to “undo” what you have done
• Second, if the child who is now on title, attracts a judgement creditor, the judgement creditor may be entitled to go after the child’s share of the home

In short, sometimes circumstances cannot be controlled. Once you add a person to your title, you have given legal rights to that individual. Creditors will be entitled to rely on the legal position you create when you add a joint tenant.

James Steele’s preferred practise area is estate litigation. Contact James Steele at 1-306-933-1338 or [email protected]. The above is for general information only. Parties should always seek legal advice prior to taking action in specific situations. 

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The Saskatchewan Estate Law blog is dedicated to providing practical, real-world information on Estate Law issues that affect Saskatchewan residents. The blog is written by RS lawyer, James Steele, whose practice focuses on estate litigation.

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