Elder Law 2025


Course Date: October 9, 2025

Full Course Materials
Total: 5h 48min
Total Ethics: 1h
Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:10)
 
Nadia Myerthall — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Janis Ko — McLellan Herbert Locke LLP, Vancouver
J. Jeffrey Locke — McLellan Herbert Locke LLP, Vancouver
 
Case Law Update (9:10 – 10:10)
 
  • 10 years post-Bentley
  • MAiD update
  • attacks on capacity (estate and family planning)
  • joint tenancies and other housing disputes
Taylor-Marie Young — Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, Kelowna
 
Your Potentially Incapable Client (10:10 – 11:10)
 
  • representing clients with diminished capacity
  • how to put client's evidence before the court
  • ethical obligations
Amy A. Mortimore, KC — Clark Wilson LLP, Vancouver
 
BREAK (11:10 – 11:25)
 
Elder Abuse (11:25 – 12:20)
 
  • role of the Health Authorities in addressing abuse under the AGA
  • challenges/common issues arising in situations of elder abuse: HA perspective
  • financial abuse—PGT vs. HA jurisdiction
  • intergenerational property issues/different cultural communities
  • capacity/consent/legal instruments
  • estate planning issues
Deanna Fedio — Legal Counsel, Health Law & Disputes, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver
Julia Lauwers — Associate General Counsel, Health Law & Disputes, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver
 
LUNCH (12:20 – 1:00)
 
BC Seniors Advocate (1:00 – 1:50)
 
  • update on work of Office of the Seniors Advocate
  • care homes—not for profit vs. profit, negligence
Dan Levitt — BC Seniors Advocate, Victoria
 
Advanced Planning for Clients with Disabilities and Dementia (1:50 – 2:45)
 
  • assessing the client's mental capacity
  • integration with disability benefits
  • clients with disabilities and dementia
  • powers of attorney and representation agreements
  • trust planning
Braeden J. Rahn — Geoffrey W. White Law Corporation & Clark Wilson LLP, Kelowna & Vancouver
 
BREAK (2:45 – 3:00)
 
Roundtable—Decision Tree (3:00 – 3:55)
 
  • triage of abuse calls by the Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL)
    • risk assessment and safety planning 
    • internal referrals to other Seniors First BC Services (victim services, legal services)
    • external referrals (PGT, Designated Agencies, community agencies) 
  • clinical manifestations and management of elder abuse
  • the role of the PGT when responding to reports of abuse, neglect, and self-neglect
  • PGT's criteria to initiate an investigation and considerations used to determine whether to pursue a legal authority on behalf of an adult
Marie-Noël Campbell — Executive Director & Staff Lawyer, Seniors First BC, Vancouver
Dr. Peter Chan — Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, UBC, Vancouver
Kevin Coughlin — Manager, Assessment and Investigation Services and Personal Services, Services to Adults, Public Guardian and Trustee of BC, Vancouver
 
Closing Remarks (3:55 – 4:00)
 
Janis Ko — McLellan Herbert Locke LLP, Vancouver
J. Jeffrey Locke — McLellan Herbert Locke LLP, Vancouver