The Legal Costs of BC Committeeship Applications
An application to the BC Supreme Court is necessary for a person to become the guardian or “committee” of an incapable adult. The court application for committeeship…
Executor-Beneficiaries of Wills in BC: Can Fees be Reduced by Overlapping Self-Interest?
Executors are very often also beneficiaries of the estate they are tasked with administering, and it can be challenging to keep personal interests apart from estate business….
Bid for Special Referee Denied; Draws Costs in BC Committeeship Application
A special referee may be appointed within BC court proceeding to undertake factual investigations – often through the referee’s specialized expertise – that are necessary to the…
Court Clarifies Costs of Estate Litigation in Complex Family Dispute
This Vancouver estate litigation between siblings over their father’s estate—and the costs of the estate litigation itself—lasted nearly a decade. The BC Court of Appeal’s ruling in…
Estate of BC Biker Divided Between His Wife and “Secret” Common-Law Spouse
A Hells Angels prospect led a double life, leaving a “complicated legacy” after his disappearance and murder. Michael Widner maintained two separate households for almost a decade…
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 about the best interests…
Special Costs Granted from the Estate in Protracted BC Committeeship Proceedings
In BC, a committee can be appointed on application to the Supreme Court to make personal, legal, or financial decisions for an adult who is found to…
Who Pays the Legal Costs of a Committeeship Application?
Our Vancouver estate litigation lawyers have recently been discussing adult incapacity, the nature of committeeship, and the issues for determination on a BC committeeship application. In today’s…
Rectification of Wills in BC
The Wills, Estates and Succession Act has been in force since March 31, 2014, and since that time, there have been few reported decisions in which the…
BC Estate Litigation: Can a Notice of Dispute Be Removed?
When a will fails to make adequate provision for the direct family members, can the adult children bring a claim for division of family assets against the…