Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Blog

Wills are intended to govern the distribution of an estate, keeping in mind the wishes and intention of the will-maker.  As a general rule, a will-maker may distribute their estate as they see fit and the courts recognize this principle of “testamentary autonomy”.  However, this right is not absolute.  In British Columbia, the courts can vary a testator’s wishes where ...

When you sign a will, the will is intended after your death to govern the distribution of your estate in keeping with your wishes.  A will is the direction to your executor about which people, organizations or causes you want to benefit. 

Preparing a will is serious business.  In British Columbia, if you do not have a will, your estate will be treated as an “intestacy” and its ...

The B.C. Court of Appeal recently revised the test for the dismissal of a civil claim for delay, known in legalese as “want of prosecution.” They did so by replacing the narrow requirement of proving prejudice caused by a delay with a broader inquiry into whether the continued prosecution of a long-standing claim is in the “interests of justice.”

In Giacomini ...

A friend called the other day distressed at the conduct of her elder and only sibling.  He had said and done mean things, and taken financial and emotional advantage of their aging mother, now in a care home.  The brother was a sponger.  He lived rent and expense-free in mum’s home despite efforts to get him to leave.  He had not worked in years and was taking advantage of his mum.  My ...

As “baby boomers” age, their families are left to confront a myriad of medical, social, practical and legal issues that can arise in providing ongoing care and support. Poor health, limited finances and, frequently, varying degrees of mental incompetence can make this task emotionally and legally difficult. Add in strained intra-family relationships and the ...

There is a wonderful scene in the 1976 Peter Seller’s film The Pink Panther Strikes Again in which he arrives at a Swiss hotel seeking a room. After a brief colloquy with the hotelier over obtaining a “rume,” he turns from the front desk to see a long haired dachshund lying quietly in the doorway leading to his suite. He asks the innkeeper, “Does your dawg bite?” and is ...

Could Pablo Escobar sue for breach of contract? Can a Tony Soprano get an agreement enforced by court order? You might think that in a commercial lawsuit, if a party admits having intended to break the law, their case is over. However, the reality is much more nuanced.

In dismissing a recent appeal, the B.C. Court of Appeal (BCCA) confirmed that the courts have a broad discretion ...

Many commercial contracts limit claims between parties, particularly for consequential losses, to instances of gross negligence. Many statutes circumscribe claims against government authorities to the same circumstances. The Police Act, for example, prohibits claims against the police except where the police have been “guilty of dishonesty, gross negligence or ...

Second marriages are common. They frequently occur when one or both individuals already have adult children. Sometimes these melded families work and everyone gets along, or at least are pleasant enough to each other. Occasionally it does not go that well.  In either case, but particularly the latter, difficult legal questions can arise that should to be addressed rather ...

The B.C. Court of Appeal recently weighed in, for the first time, on the interpretation and application of the strata wind-up provisions in Part 16 of the Strata Property Act, (the “Act”).  This is the first appellate decision to consider this aspect of the Act.  It is an important decision because the court confirmed the validity of the practice and procedures for strata ...