Clayton Whitman, Lawyer
700-275 Lansdowne Street V2C 6H6 Kamloops, BC, Canada

The Wills, Estates and Succession Act is in the news in relation to a dispute over whether a deceased with no will had one or two spouses: https://www.cbc.ca//hells-angel-killing-spouses-estate-1.5

This CBC news article provides an illustration of some of the challenging issues that can arise when someone passes away without a will. https://www.cbc.ca//family-refused-access-suite-sudden-dea

Have you been told that a deceased's estate needs to be probated, or that you need a grant of probate to take control of a deceased's assets? This means you are required to make an application to the BC Supreme Court to have the deceased's will and the appointment of the executor approved by the Court.

Are you refinancing your mortgage to take advantage of the low rates? If you need a lawyer to assist with the registration I am available anytime and would be happy to assist!

This Wednesday I will be in Barriere, taking appointments for wills, probating estates, and real estate.

When buying or selling a business or property, one of the biggest red flags I hear is when the other party says "we don't need lawyers for this". If they don't want you to get legal advice it is because they don't want you to ensure your own interests are protected before you sign something. Don't let them decide for you whether you should get legal advice. Before you sign anything, contact me for a free consultation and then decide for yourself.

Are you a director or shareholder in a company that is incorporated in British Columbia? If so your company must have a transparency register listing all the "significant individuals" of the company as defined in the BC Business Corporations Act. If your company needs assistance with preparing a transparency register or if you have any questions about the transparency register I am available to assist.

A critical part of estate planning and writing your will is determining what property will form your estate and what property will transfer immediately to others upon your passing. To discuss your property and what will happen to it upon your passing, contact me for a consultation.

If you own any registered investment accounts, or a life insurance policy, have you named a beneficiary for them? When was the last time you checked to ensure that the person(s) you named as the beneficiaries was consistent with your current estate planning objectives?

Being the executor of an estate involves risk and can be a challenging process no matter the circumstances. We assist executors with obtaining the grant of probate and with the distribution of the assets pursuant to the Will. Contact me to learn more about how we can help and our rates.

Here is an interesting article for sports teams/organizations/governments regarding teams returning to sport and competition and the uncertainty around what are the legal obligations and what are moral/ethical recommendations: https://www.cbc.ca//saskatchewan-aaa-hockey-teams-secretly

Busy working on letters to clients to help them prepare the transparency registers for their B.C. companies. The requirement for all B.C. companies to have a transparency register is coming up on October 1, 2020. Contact me if you need assistance complying with this new law!