British Columbia
2 lawyers whose firms cover wills and estates work in Vancouver. Each lawyer was checked on their provincial law society's public directory before being listed — check again before you hire, as people move firms. Browsing Lawvoo is free.
Sorted by years of experience. See all lawyers in Vancouver
Richard Weiland · Partner, Estates & Trusts Co-Chair · Wills & Estates · Vancouver
885 West Georgia Street, Suite 900, Vancouver, BC V6C 3H1
Co-chairs the firm's Estates and Trusts group and chairs its tax group. He advises private business owners, trustees and charities on tax, estate and business succession planning and trust administration. The firm also has a family law group.
Laurence S. Klass · Partner, Family Law Group Leader · Wills & Estates · Vancouver
1075 West Georgia Street, Suite 1200, Vancouver, BC V6E 3C9
Leads the firm's Family Law Group. His practice covers divorce, division of property and debt, spousal and child support, parenting time, guardianship and family law agreements, with an emphasis on mediation and negotiation. He practised in London, England before moving to Vancouver in 2007. The firm also covers workplace law, real estate, wills and estates, and personal injury.
Making a will, applying for probate, administering an estate, and estate disputes. In British Columbia a grant of probate comes from the Supreme Court, and the Wills, Estates and Succession Act sets out who inherits when there is no will.
You can apply for a grant of probate in any BC Supreme Court registry. In Vancouver the Supreme Court is at the Law Courts, 800 Smithe Street.
Probate fees depend on the value of the estate and are set by BC's Probate Fee Act. Ask the Supreme Court registry or a lawyer for the fee on your estate. Legal fees are separate.
The Wills, Estates and Succession Act decides who inherits. If there is a spouse and no descendants, the spouse inherits the whole estate. If there are descendants, the spouse receives $300,000 — or $150,000 if not all the children are also the spouse's children — plus half of the rest, and the descendants share the other half. Someone must apply for a grant of administration to deal with the estate.
To practise law in British Columbia a lawyer must be a member of the Law Society of British Columbia. You can look up any lawyer in the Law Society's public Lawyer Directory, which shows their practising status and any discipline history. Each lawyer on these pages was checked in that directory before being listed, but people move firms, so check again before you hire. Complaints about a lawyer go to the Law Society.
Listings are provided for information only and are not legal advice or a recommendation. Always check a lawyer in the Law Society of British Columbia's Lawyer Directory before hiring them. Looking for a different area? Browse all practice areas.