Watson Goepel is thrilled to announce that six of our lawyers have been recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada™ 2026 and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch™ in 2026 for their remarkable success and excellence in their area of expertise.
One such case that caught my eye was M.W.Z and G.Z. v The Province of British Columbia. In this case the parents had adopted a child from Nepal in 2006. They applied to the Court in 2017 to not only change their daughter M’s name, but to change her date of birth to make her ‘legally’ 2½ years older than what they were told when she was first adopted.
If you follow local media coverage, you will know that changes in the real estate market in the Lower Mainland of B.C., and Vancouver in particular, are having far reaching effects. These effects ripple down to family law cases too. In many situations where people are separating or divorcing and also have to deal with shared real property, the changes in market value of their home, or the new mortgage qualification rules, are making the settlement of property issues more challenging than they may have been in previous years.
Although not always successful, increasingly, plaintiffs in employment cases are making claims for damages over and above notice damages. This article provides a very brief overview of a selection of successful and unsuccessful claims, and demonstrates that there are increasingly unpredictable (sometimes very large) liabilities to employers who do not successfully and fairly conclude employment relationships.
The use of trusts and other vehicles for business and asset protection purposes (amongst other things) is a long-standing practice. If structured appropriately such entities can provide a number of financial, tax and other benefits. However, simply setting up a trust, or purporting to move assets into it, does not necessarily provide creditor protection, particularly where subsequent conduct is inconsistent with the alleged transfer.
A recent decision of the BC Supreme Court (DirectCash ATM Processing Partnership (a firm) v Main Food Stop (a partnership), 2018 BCSC 1851) highlights the importance of reading and understanding a contract before signing it and how not doing so can prove costly.
In July 2016, British Columbia launched the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT), an online dispute-resolution tribunal which helps people resolve certain types of small claims disputes up to $5,000 (though this amount will increase in the future), and strata related disputes of any value.
If you are embarking on a separation or divorce you have a wide selection of Vancouver divorce lawyers and law firms to choose from. Should you employ a family law lawyer at a full-service firm that provides legal guidance in many different practice areas, or at a boutique firm that is dedicated solely to the practice of family law? The answer may surprise you!
Despite Metro Vancouver’s typically mild weather, the winter months can still be unpredictable, and weather conditions can change rapidly, particularly as you head out of town and into the more mountainous regions.
The recent court decision, Sweeney v. British Columbia 2018 BCSC 1832, deals with the physical assault of a member of the public by two sheriffs at the Victoria Registry of the B.C. Supreme Court. This case resulted in an award to the Plaintiff of $70,000 in damages for their pain and suffering.
When a couple is going through a separation or divorce, the well-being of the children ought to be their first priority. While many parents may think that they have the best interests of their children in mind, they themselves are often busy trying to cope with the emotional and material consequences of a separation or divorce. Consequently, the voices of their children can unintentionally become lost in the process. This can leave children feeling misunderstood or alone in their pain, which can have long reaching consequences for families.
