Estates Made Simple

Welcome to the “Estates Made Simple” Podcast, hosted by Gordon VanderLeek, a licensed lawyer specializing in wills, estates and trusts, and Jenna Carvalho, an estate and trust consultant with over 10 years experience helping families secure their assets and plan for the future. We are a bi-weekly podcast that discusses the complicated and often confusing world of estate administration. Our goal is to provide you with the insight, knowledge and resources to help you navigate this complex process. Every episode we bring our unique perspective to provide listeners with unbiased information and practical tips to ensure success and mitigate risk. Even if you are not an executor, there will be topics of interest as you consider planning options for your own estate. Join us for helpful tips and important information on navigating estate administration so you can achieve peace of mind as an executor or administrator.

Estates Made Simple is a education podcast hosted by Jenna Carvalho & Gordon VanderLeek, with 74 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Jenna Carvalho & Gordon VanderLeek hosts Estates Made Simple, a education show with 74 episodes published.

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  Episode #74

  Looking Back, Stepping Forward: Jenna’s Transition & What’s Next

  Nov 26, 202523 minS1

  <p><b>Episode Summary</b></p><p>In this special episode of the Estates Made Simple podcast, Gordon VanderLeek is joined one last time by long-time co-host Jenna Carvalho of Guardian Estate Company. After two and a half years and more than 70 episodes together, Jenna is stepping away from the podcast to focus on big projects in her business and a growing family.</p><p>Gordon and Jenna use this transition as a chance to look back on what they’ve learned, what’s changing in the estate world, and what executors and families really need to know. They walk thro...

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  Episode #73

  The Great Stork Derby: Canada’s Most Bizarre Estate Case

  Nov 12, 202514 minS1

  <p><b>Episode Summary</b></p><p>In this episode of Estates Made Simple, Gordon and Jenna take listeners back to one of Canada’s most famous, and frankly, most entertaining estate cases: the will of Charles Vance Miller. Known as a sharp lawyer and practical joker, Miller turned his own estate into a social experiment that sparked headlines, lawsuits, and even a movie.</p><p>From gifting stock to people who opposed the companies to leaving a house jointly to enemies who had to live together, Miller’s will was full of mischief. But the pièce de résistan...

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  Episode #72

  Gifting While Alive: Navigating Powers of Attorney and Estate Administration

  Oct 29, 202514 minS1

  <p><b>Episode Summary</b></p><p>In this episode of Estates Made Simple, hosts Gordon VanderLeek and Jenna Carvalho deep dive into one of the more nuanced aspects of estate planning, gifting while someone is still alive under a power of attorney.</p><p>When someone loses capacity and their power of attorney becomes active, what exactly can the appointed attorney do? Gordon and Jenna unpack the legal and ethical boundaries that govern financial and property decisions, exploring how these choices affect both the present well-being of the donor and the future distribution of their estate.</p><p>They...

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  Episode #71

  Estate Planning After Divorce or Separation

  Oct 15, 202520 minS1

  <p><b>Episode Summary</b></p><p>In this episode, Gordon and Jenna explore estate planning for divorced and separated couples, one of the most common and complex scenarios in estate law. With nearly half of marriages ending in divorce, this conversation is relevant to countless Canadians navigating the legal and emotional transition from shared to individual planning. They discuss how divorce impacts wills, executors, and beneficiary designations, and how proper planning can prevent future disputes for both families and executors.</p><p><b>Key Discussion Points</b></p><p>1. Why Updating Your Estate Plan Post-Divorce Is Essential</p><p>2...

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  Episode #70

  Estates Gone Badly (Part 2)

  Oct 1, 202519 minS1

  <p><b>Episode Summary</b></p><p>In this episode, we’re joined again by Michaela Summers, associate lawyer at VanderLeek Law and head of the estate administration department.</p><p>This is part two of our “Estates Gone Badly” series. There were simply too many stories (and lessons) to fit into one episode, so in this episode we continue exploring real-life examples of estate administration gone sideways and what could have been done differently to avoid costly, stressful, or relationship-damaging outcomes.</p><p><b>Key Discussion Points</b></p><p><b>1. DIY and Hybrid Wills Gone Wrong</b></p><p>· Th...

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