Access Pro Bono will be hosting its seventh annual Pro Bono Going Public event throughout BC this September. The event is an outdoor legal ‘advice-a-thon’ and fundraiser for BC’s pro bono programs. Volunteer lawyers will provide free legal guidance to low- or moderate- income individuals. The open-air legal clinic will be held in Kelowna on…
In 1978, three cases were decided by the Supreme Court of Canada, which today still have an impact on the amount of money a person receives when they are injured by the negligence of another person. But how much is enough? Suppose you were in a car accident, or fell at a neighbours home, and…
In recent months lawyers throughout BC have been learning new wills and estates laws, which came into force on March 31, 2014. The Trial Lawyers Association of BC recently held a program to address these significant changes and the uncertainty arising from them. What do you need to know about correcting a will in court?…
How often are you confronted by someone you know, who asks to borrow your vehicle? How often are you asked to take someone you know to one place or another and you say…. “here take my car/truck”…and hand them the keys. Have you heard of Don’t Ask…Don’t Tell? Has it ever occurred to you that…
We are lucky to live in a country where our fellow citizens believe that each of us has a right to basic medical care. This includes doctor’s visits, hospital care, medically necessary surgeries, and some continuing care outreach services. The Pharmacare Plan assists with the cost of medication. This plan has a deductible and the…
A relatively recent and developing area of personal injury law involves injuries from toxic substances – such as mould in apartment or office buildings, food toxins, pharmaceutical products, and pesticides or other industrial chemicals. Although claims for illness from these substances are often difficult to prove, they can have widespread implications for employers, landlords, food…
When is your private life yours to hold tight, or let go…or in some situations have it grabbed from you? We all like to think that our private life is private, but this is no longer true, particularly in the context of a personal injury action. A number of years ago, when I was defence…
In 2012, there were over 50,000 small businesses in the Thompson-Okanagan region. The strength of the entrepreneurial spirit in our region reflects a general trend throughout British Columbia – the Province with the highest per capita rate of small business ownership in Canada. Entrepreneurs (and people who invest in their businesses by taking shares) are…
The Wills, Estates and Succession Act (“WESA”) came into force on March 31, 2014. WESA replaces and consolidates (with substantial changes) four statutes that governed the passing of property on death and the administration of the estates of deceased persons. The act provides greater certainty for individuals who put their last wishes into writing and simplifies the…
As a senior personal injury lawyer, when I am hired to represent someone injured in a serious motor vehicle accident, one of the first things I want to find out from the insurance company for the bad driver, is the amount of insurance that is available (the third party limits), to know if there will…
