Blog

Small Claims or Supreme Court?

Once you have made the decision to take someone to court, one of the first decisions to be made is whether it will be in Small Claims Court or in Supreme Court. Sometimes the decision is easy: Small Claims Court limits the money you can be awarded to $25,000, so if someone owes you or […]

The ABCs of AGMs

You had that great business idea and you wisely incorporated your company, and now with the pesky formalities out of the way you are busy making your business grow and prosper and profitable. That’s great that you have taken these initial steps and are off to the races business-wise, but the procedure of being a […]

To Probate or not to Probate

One of the most common questions that arises in the course of discussion with clients about wills and estates is “do I need to apply for probate?” Often an individual finds him or herself as the executor of the will of a recently deceased friend or family member and is unsure which avenue of estate […]

Getting Your Money: when to sue

I was recently at a social function where a carpenter was telling me that the Courts in BC are useless because even if you win, you never get your money from the losing party. Although, I do not think he is correct, it can be true. Before you embark on the potentially lengthy journey of […]

Limitation Periods

If you have been wronged by someone who, for example, hasn’t repaid a loan, sold you something that wasn’t what they promised, slandered you, et cetera, and you go to lawyer to find out what you can do resolve the situation, one of the first questions the lawyer will ask you is “when did this […]

Written Employment Contracts

If you are a business owner the time will soon come to add a new employee to your empire – maybe your first employee or maybe your fiftieth, either way, you will need to decide whether or not to have them sign an employment agreement. Let us help you decide: have them sign an employment agreement. […]

Independent Legal Advice

Certificates of independent legal advice come up from time to time when you are signing agreements or borrowing money. They seem simple enough – in fact they seem so straightforward that often people forget what the purpose of a certificate of independent legal advice (an “ILA”) is and treat its execution as a mere formality. […]

Costs Against a Non-Party

At the end of any lawsuit, comes the time for the Court to settle the bill and award money to one or more of the parties. Basically, costs (as these payments are known) are given to compensate the winners for some of their legal costs and to punish the losers. Where a party has brought […]

Termination: Notice

No one likes to fire people. Let me start again: No one, aside from Donald Trump or Mitt Romney, likes to fire people.  For most people, the decision to let someone go is difficult and unpleasant.  If you own or run a business, however, at some point you are going to need to have an […]

Directors’ Liability: Welcome on Board

Chances are that if you are a professional person, at some point you will be asked to sit on the board of directors of a company.  You may already be a director.  In practical terms, many board members take on a passive role: attending sporadic meetings, reviewing financial statements, and signing off on “routine” resolutions.  […]

You’re Engaged…Now What?

Congratulations, you’re engaged!  What an exciting time…but since you are reading this blog entry and not out celebrating, the initial magic has likely subsided and now you are thinking about what you should do to prudently prepare for marriage, legally speaking.  (Well done.  We like your style.) You don’t have to do anything, of course.  […]