Why Do I Need A Representation Agreement?
In the past, you may recall people talking about “living wills”. Living wills have been replaced in B.C. by a formal and very comprehensive document called a Representation Agreement. By filling out...
View ArticleBullied At Work?
Q. My co-worker bullies me when no one else is around. I’ve had to take stress leave because of depression which I believe was caused by the endless bullying. I don’t think my employer really cares and...
View ArticleDo I Have To Sign An Employment Contract?
QUESTION: My new employer wants me to sign an employment contract before I start working. It includes a non-compete clause that would apply to me for 5 years after I leave this employer and would...
View ArticleCan My Ex Take Part Of My Inheritance?
Question: I inherited $100,000 from my grandfather before my spouse and I separated. I was going to pay down the mortgage on our home with some of it but we separated before I made the payment. My...
View ArticleIs A Non-Competition Clause Enforceable?
Typically non-competition clauses are considered to be unreasonable restraints on trade and unenforceable. However, in the case of Rawlco Radio Ltd. v. Lozinski, 2012 SKQB 460, The court found that...
View ArticleWorkplace Harassment and Bullying Prevention Policies
November 1, 2013 is coming up quickly and employers need to know about their WorkSafe BC obligations to deal with workplace bullying and harassment. A recent newsletter from Spark Workplace Consulting...
View ArticleDo-It-Yourself Divorce in BC
Many people entering a divorce consider doing it themselves in order to save money. A recent post on Do-it-Yourself Divorce by a UK divorce lawyer raises issues that anyone considering this route ought...
View ArticleLessons from Aquilini’s Divorce Settlement
The recent settlement of the Aquilini divorce case highlights a number of issues that family lawyers deal with on a daily basis. In the Aquilini case, the Aquilinis were both concerned about the effect...
View ArticleWhat Happens to the Engagement Ring?
When a man spends a great deal of money buying an engagement ring for his fiancée, should she give him the ring back when she breaks it off? That will be the question for the court to decide in a...
View ArticleAffordable Legal Services for Everyone
The Canadian Bar Association is the professional association many lawyers in Canada belong to. It advocates not only on behalf of lawyers but the people who use or need our legal services. The CBA has...
View ArticleDivorce for Non-Resident Same Sex Couples
Same sex couples who have flocked to Canada in the last few years to get married but who live in a place where same sex marriages are not recognized as legal marriages were, until recently, not able to...
View ArticleWhat is the Right Way to Fire an Employee?
For employers, even those who own small or micro businesses, knowing the difference between the right way and the wrong way to fire an employee can make a huge difference to your bottom line & if...
View ArticleStrata 101: Living in a Strata
In previous posts, we’ve looked at strata councils and property managers and those occasional ‘nightmare’ owners. But what about owners who just want to be happy and enjoy their homes in peace and...
View ArticleAre Restrictive Covenants Enforceable in Business and Employment Contracts?
Restrictive covenants, or provisions in a contract that restrict the seller or employee from setting up a new shop or working for a competitor for a period of time, and within a particular geographical...
View ArticleStrata 101: The End of Neighbours from Hell?
In an earlier post we wrote about a condo neighbours from hell. This week, the B.C. Court of Appeal upheld a lower-court decision ordering Surrey resident Rose Jordison to sell her condominium suite...
View ArticleStrata 101: The New Civil Resolution Tribunal
Although I refer to this as the “new” Tribunal, it has not yet come into existence. We expect it to be operational in early 2014. The Civil Resolution Tribunal should, if it works as it is intended,...
View ArticleMake a Will Week in BC
The BC Government has proclaimed March 31 to April 6, 2014 to be Make a Will Week. Make a Will Week 2014 coincides with the new Wills, Estate and Succession Act (WESA) which comes into force on March...
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Strata 101: Civil Resolution Tribunal Part 2 Update
It is now anticipated that the Civil Resolution Tribunal will be up and running by the Fall of 2014. When it is in operation, we expect it to create a sea change in the way strata councils and their...
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Employer Beware: Employment Standards Branch May Come Calling
Be organized, be accurate and be obsessive, or the Employment Standards Branch (ESB) may come calling All employers in BC who are not federally regulated, must comply with the requirements of the...
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Employer Beware: Terminations can be a Minefield for Your Bottom Line
Most employers have a general idea of the steps they should take to protect themselves when they terminate an employee’s employment. A lot of employers obtain much better knowledge of what they should...
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