Estate Litigation Basics 2016


Course Date: February 26, 2016

Total: 5h 33min

Welcome and Introduction

Amy D. Francis — Legacy Tax + Trust Lawyers, Vancouver

View from the Bench

The Honourable Madam Justice Sandra K. Ballance — Supreme Court of British Columbia, Vancouver
The Honourable Madam Justice D. Jane Dardi — Supreme Court of British Columbia, Vancouver

The ABCs of Committeeships

  • adult guardianship and legislative background
  • bringing an application
  • contested committeeships

Raman Johal — Clark Wilson LLP, Vancouver

Networking Break

Probate Actions

  • challenges to the validity of a will
  • impact of the new civil rules
  • costs

Claire N. Wilson — Legacy Tax +Trust Lawyers, Vancouver

Wills Variation Issues

  • fundamentals of wills variation
  • litigating claims under the Wills, Estates and Succession Act
  • costs

Kimberly A. Kuntz — Bull, Housser & Tupper LLP, Vancouver

Family Law and Estate Disputes

  • impact of the Family Law Act on estate litigation
  • transition/limitation period issues

Anna Laing — Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, Vancouver

Networking Lunch

Curing Deficiencies

  • section 58
  • section 59
  • executors' duties with respect to testamentary documents and wills that require rectification

Emily Clough — Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver

Solicitor-Client Privilege in Estate Litigation

  • unique issues arising in estate matters
  • obtaining the lawyer’s file
  • joint retainers

M. Scott Kerwin — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver

Networking Break

The Final Step: Passing the Accounts in a Contentious Estate

  • passing accounts under the new rules
  • the referral to the registrar
  • the scope of the registrar’s jurisdiction, and referral of legal issues to the Supreme Court
  • use of statements of errors and omissions
  • using the pre-hearing conference, and directions from the registrar

Lauren Blake — DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, Vancouver

Building an Estate Litigation Practice

  • marketing
  • networking
  • collegiality
  • leveraging technology
  • establishing your practice in a competitive market

Candace Cho — Onyx Law Group, Vancouver
Kimberly D. Wallis — Sabey Rule LLP, Kelowna