Have you ever heard phrases like “Probate an estate,” “Probate a Will,” “applying for Probate,” or “Grant of Probate”? Have you ever wondered what these phrases mean, whether they are referring to the same thing or whether they are referring to different things? If the answer is yes, you have come to the right place.
Continue reading →In today’s world, companies play an integral role in our society. People work as employees of companies and people have funds invested in companies through their pensions, mutual funds or owning shares directly.
Continue reading →To a person living in the 19th century, an apple could have meant only one thing, the fruit. To Sir Isaac Newton, an apple meant the Universal Law of Gravitation. To us, or at least to me, an apple could mean the fruit or the new IPhone. As everyone knows, Apple is a company manufacturing…
Continue reading →You may have heard your friend or family member saying that they are carrying on business as a sole proprietor or as a partner. You may also know a friend or family member who is a shareholder of a company or you may be a shareholder yourself. However, what does it mean to be a…
Continue reading →There is a lot of confusion by clients relating to what property is excluded from division when a couple separates in British Columbia. This article will explain what is excluded property and how excluded property is determined.
Continue reading →People often wonder if the property division rules in the Family Law Act of B.C. apply to their relationship. In order to answer that question, it is important to determine if you are a spouse as defined in the Family Law Act.
Continue reading →Due to the high cost of living, it is becoming more frequent today for couples who no longer consider themselves to be partners to stay living in the same house or apartment because they can’t afford to do anything else. As such, you may wonder how to prove you are legally separated in BC while…
Continue reading →While it is common knowledge that same sex marriage is legal in Canada, we often receive calls from people who want to know their rights or obligations as a spouse or parent in a same sex relationship.
Continue reading →As soon as someone is informed that she/he is named as a beneficiary of an estate, the first question that comes to mind is “When can a beneficiary receive their share of the estate?” or in short, when do I get the cheque?
Continue reading →People often wonder in the case of separation what happens to the family home if one spouse contributed money they had before the relationship to the purchase of the family home. They wonder if their down payment on the family home will be divided when they separate or divorce or if it will be excluded…
Continue reading →For any family, a death is extremely difficult to cope with. Not only family members will be emotionally devastated by the loss of their loved one, but some families will find themselves financially impacted by the loss. Also, families are often puzzled on what they should do following a death. In order to help you…
Continue reading →On May 26, 2014 we gave a free lecture at the People’s Law School in Vancouver on What You Need to Know About the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. It was well attended with financial services professionals, accountants and interested members of the general public. For those who were unable to…
Continue reading →The new Family Law Act “FLA” which came into force in March 2013 modernized the law on family relationships. The FLA is a substantial shift from the previous law – the Family Relations Act. This article will deal with the new property division regimes under the FLA and why a prenuptial agreement or cohabitation agreement…
Continue reading →The financial advisor is an important element to a successful Collaborative Divorce process. Collaborative Divorce is a process that divorcing or separating spouses use to resolve issues resulting from the breakdown of their relationship. The goal in Collaborative Divorce is to resolve these issues in a non adversarial manner. The aim is to minimize or…
Continue reading →Mediation is growing fast as an alternative to court. Not only in resolving civil disputes such as ICBC claims, workplace disputes, estate disputes and business disputes to name just a few, but in all aspects of human conflict. In Small Claims Court, mediation is often the first step in the court process. Also, under the…
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