Mona practiced Domestic Law and particularly Family Property division and valuation for over 25 years. Whether it’s buying a small lot to building your dream home, or a commercial strip mall, Mona enjoys advising her Real Estate and Developer clients. Mona has helped her clients at all levels: including negotiating with the City of Winnipeg in a 110 lot residential subdivision, condominium and life leases set up and normal purchase/sale/mortgage. She also advises on International Taxation and Tax Treaties and has made over 40 appearances before the Farmland Ownership Board (now called the Farm Industry Board). She assists them in renting out their land to the best tenants at above average prices. Mona represents numerous foreign clients who own farmland in Canada. Property Management for Foreign Clients – International Taxation – Treaties and the Farm Industry Board: She believes estate matters are as important and deserve the same attention as other files. Mona’s goal is to finish every estate file within one year. Mona has been an active member of the Society of Estate and Tax Practitioners (STEP) and has been a guest speaker on “farm tax” at STEP and CPA seminars. Mona combines her 40 years of knowledge of small business law and people to help her clients choose the right solution and to assist in quickly winding up an estate while saving tax when clients pass on. Planning in the above areas has made Mona a skillful and seasoned drafter of complicated tax planned Wills, Shareholder Agreements, and Property/Use Agreements. Sometimes when planning doesn’t happen, Mona uses her training as an Arbitrator and Mediator to assist in solving disputes. These plans always include family law considerations and usually the execution of use agreements to set the ground rules if more than one family member is to receive the cottage. Mona and Andrew have assisted many cottage and vacation homeowners in planning in Canada and the U.S. Mona and her husband Gordon bought cottage property on Lake of the Woods in the late 80′s and she soon realized that cottage succession planning is quite similar to farm succession – Cottages and farms are both unique, high value assets to which clients have sentimental attachment and both potentially attract huge tax liabilities. Vacation and Cottage Succession Planning: Mona enjoys working closely with tax expert Andrew Winkless who has been in the Carman office for 11 years. It’s better to have the tax saving in the client’s jeans than the governments.” An estate plan often involves corporate reorganizations with family trusts estate freezes or moving assets to new corporations commonly referred to as “butterfly”. She says “the money we can save by using simple and legal tax planning solutions gives the client more options. She works collaboratively with her client’s accountants, financial planners, insurance, and other advisors as “collaboration is imperative to make a comprehensive client centered succession plan”. She loves the challenge of helping develop a unique solution for each family.
She enjoys helping her clients solve issues such as “how to transition the farm or small business to the next generation while being fair to the other children” and “planning effectively for tax and family law”. Mona chose to practice law in Carman for the last 39 years and to focus on farm and small business tax and succession planning. Mona grew up on a farm in Southern Manitoba, she and her husband farm at Sperling. She is passionate about helping her clients and is never afraid to take on new challenges. Her goal is to deliver timely services locally to her clients. Mona received her Law Degree from the University of Manitoba in 1978, her Chartered Arbitrator Certificate in 1996 and her Trust Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation in 2013.
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