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| Costs, Family Law
“Reprehensible” Conduct in Family Law Case Draws Over $1.2 Million Costs Award
A wealthy businessman adopted a battle plan designed to punish his estranged wife on multiple fronts in protracted Vancouver family litigation. The BC court…
Punitive Special Costs in BC Committeeship Proceedings
It is common in committeeship disputes for families and loved ones to have diametrically opposed views of the best interests of the patient. Disagreements ab…
Ex-Wife Entitled to $250,000 Life Insurance as Promised in Separation Agreement
Life insurance provisions are often included in separation agreements as security for spousal support or child support. The terms of the separation agreement…
Court Appoints Administrator to Investigate $5 Million Vancouver Estate Litigation Claim
A person who is left out of a will may believe he or she has a valid claim, but not have access to the evidence required to prove it. That predicament arose…
Disinherited Second Wife’s Lawsuit Against Her Stepchildren Dismissed
Transferring property into joint tenancy for estate planning purposes often leads to family disputes and in some cases, litigation. For example, a parent may…
Family of BC Senior with Dementia Sues Alleged Financial Predator
Predatory marriage is a form of elder abuse that is on the rise. In addition to being conned into marriage by opportunistic predators, vulnerable seniors are…
Will Not Updated Post-Separation, But Former Spouse Still Inherits Ex’s Estate
When married or common-law partners cease to be spouses, s. 56(2) of the Wills, Estates and Succession Act, S.B.C. 2009, c. 13 (“WESA”) automatically revokes…
Legal Presumption Determines Outcome of BC Estate Dispute Among Siblings
A recent BC estate dispute between a brother and sister over their father’s estate demonstrates the importance of proving intention when it comes to gifts of…
Was Property Transferred to Defeat a Mutual Will?
In BC, a will is revocable at any point before a person dies. For that reason, an agreement not to revoke a will—known as a “mutual will” or mutual will agre…
BC Executor’s Fees Reduced for Failure to Remain Neutral in Estate Litigation
The executor’s fee is compensation for the tasks of gathering up assets, liquidating them, protecting them if necessary, and then distributing them to the es…