Legal Guides

Legal and government resources for our clients

Probate & Estates

Selling an Estate House in BC: Mistakes That Delay the Sale or Expose the Executor

November 1, 2026

Selling a house from a BC estate is usually manageable once the order of steps is right. These eight mistakes, from signing a contract before the grant to paying out the proceeds too early, can delay the sale or leave the executor personally exposed.

Is an Inheritance Taxable in Canada?

November 1, 2026

Canada has no inheritance tax, and an inheritance itself is not income, though estate income paid or allocated to you can be. Tax is usually settled by the estate first, through the deemed disposition on the final return. What that means in BC, including probate fees and foreign inheritances.

Executor Liability in BC: Mistakes That Can Make You Personally Responsible

November 1, 2026

A few avoidable mistakes can leave a BC executor personally answerable to beneficiaries, creditors or the CRA, even when they act in good faith. Here are seven to watch for in the first year, the rule behind each, and how to prevent or fix the problem.

All 36 Probate & Estates guides

Wills & Estate Planning

Transfer-on-Death Deeds Don't Exist in BC: Your Options for Passing On a Home

November 1, 2026

BC has no transfer-on-death or beneficiary deed for a home. Learn how a home passes under a will, by joint tenancy survivorship or through a trust, what each means for probate fees, and why adding a child to title is not the same thing.

Living Trusts in BC: Does the US-Style Trust Work Here?

November 1, 2026

The US revocable living trust does not translate neatly to BC. Canadian tax rules, property transfer tax and annual trust filings change the picture. Learn how alter ego and joint partner trusts work for people 65 and older, and how a trust compares with a will.

Enduring Power of Attorney in BC: How to Make One, Who Can Witness It, and the Form

November 1, 2026

A guide to the enduring power of attorney in BC: what it covers, why health care needs a representation agreement instead, who you can appoint, the optional provincial form, the signing and witness rules, and how an EPOA can be changed or ends.

All 38 Wills & Estate Planning guides

Real Estate

Canada's Foreign Buyer Ban Ends January 2027 Unless Extended: What It Means in BC

November 1, 2026

As of 1 November 2026, the federal ban on non-Canadians buying homes is set to end on 1 January 2027 unless Ottawa extends it. What the ban covers until then, which BC taxes on foreign buyers stay in place, and how to time a purchase.

First-Time Home Buyers in BC: 12 Costly Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

October 23, 2026

Buying your first home in BC? Here are twelve common and costly mistakes, from budgeting only for the price and removing subjects too early to skipping the strata records and calling a lawyer too late, with what to do instead.

The Property Disclosure Statement: What BC Sellers Must Disclose About Defects

October 19, 2026

Most BC resale buyers ask the seller for a property disclosure statement. Your answers can become part of the deal, and some defects must be disclosed whether or not you are asked. Here is how to approach the form carefully.

All 39 Real Estate guides

Family Law

Certificate of Divorce in BC: When the Divorce Is Final and How to Get the Certificate

November 1, 2026

A BC divorce takes effect on the 31st day after the judgment. Learn the difference between the divorce order and the certificate of divorce, how to request a certificate in person or by mail, the current registry fees, and what to check before remarrying.

DIY or Printable Separation Agreements in BC: 7 Mistakes That Lead to Trouble

November 1, 2026

Printable and online separation agreement templates can be a sensible starting point for BC couples. These are seven gaps that can lead to an agreement being challenged, replaced or hard to enforce under the Family Law Act, and how to close each one.

Is There an 'Automatic Divorce' After a Long Separation in Canada?

November 1, 2026

There is no automatic divorce in Canada, even after decades apart. Learn why the one-year separation rule is a condition rather than a timer, what staying married still affects, how separation changes BC estate rules, and how to apply.

All 86 Family Law guides

Business Law

BC's Public Transparency Register Is Coming: What Private Companies Will Have to File

October 22, 2026

BC has passed amendments that will require private companies to file their transparency register information with the Registrar, with some of it searchable by the public. They are not in force yet. Here is what will change and how to prepare.

Signing Contracts for Your Company: How to Avoid Signing in Your Own Name

October 19, 2026

Incorporating protects you only if the company, not you, is the party to your contracts. A missing "Ltd.", a trade name on an invoice or a deal signed before incorporation can leave an owner personally exposed. Here is how to sign so the company is bound.

Transferring Shares in a BC Private Company: Approvals, Registers and Certificates

October 19, 2026

Selling or gifting shares in a BC private company takes more than a handshake. Check the restrictions in the articles and any shareholders' agreement, sign the right documents, and update the securities register, certificates and transparency register.

All 45 Business Law guides

Business Purchase & Sale

Holdbacks and Escrow in a Business Purchase: Why Part of the Price Waits

October 19, 2026

Many business purchases pay most of the price on closing and hold the rest back for a period. Here is why buyers ask for a holdback or escrow, how the money is protected, the tax rule for non-resident sellers, and the release terms worth negotiating.

Vendor take-back financing in a BC business sale: how seller financing works

October 15, 2026

In a vendor take-back, the seller lets the buyer pay part of the price over time. This article looks at the arrangement from both sides: the note, the security and its registration, the bank's priority, and what happens if the buyer stops paying.

Financing a business purchase in BC: bank loans, government-backed loans and seller financing

October 15, 2026

Most buyers of a BC business combine their own money with a bank loan, a government-backed loan or seller financing. Each source comes with conditions, security and timing that end up inside the purchase deal, so it pays to line them up before you sign.

All 20 Business Purchase & Sale guides

Litigation

Tree Disputes in BC: Roots, Overhanging Branches and Cutting a Neighbour's Tree

October 19, 2026

Roots cracking a driveway, branches over the roof, or a neighbour who cut down a tree on your side: tree disputes are common in BC and can escalate quickly. Here is how responsibility usually works and why you should check the bylaw before you cut.

Water Leaks in a BC Strata: Who Pays for Repairs and the Insurance Deductible?

October 19, 2026

After a leak in a BC strata, the questions come fast: who repairs the damage, whose insurance responds, and can the strata charge you its deductible? The answers depend on the Strata Property Act, your bylaws and the evidence of what caused the leak.

BC's Construction Prompt Payment Act: What Contractors and Owners Need to Know

October 19, 2026

BC's Construction Prompt Payment Act received Royal Assent on November 27, 2025 but is not yet in force. Once it starts, it sets invoicing and payment deadlines down the contract chain, a fast adjudication process and changes to builders liens.

All 38 Litigation guides

Notarization

Can You E-Sign It? Which BC Legal Documents Accept Electronic Signatures

November 1, 2026

Yes, electronic signatures are legal in BC for most contracts and records. But the Electronic Transactions Act does not apply to wills, many powers of attorney or land transfers, and affidavits still need a commissioner. Here is how each one is signed.

Getting a BC Apostille by Mail: What Can Be Done Remotely and What Needs Originals

November 1, 2026

BC apostilles are handled by mail or courier: you complete the request form and pay online, then send the documents to Victoria. This guide covers which documents qualify, when originals are needed, the notary rules, and where video does and does not fit.

Commissioning an Affidavit for Another Province, or for Someone Outside BC by Video

November 1, 2026

An affidavit sworn in BC for an Ontario or Alberta case, or one sworn outside BC for a BC case, has to satisfy the rules of two places. This guide explains who can commission it, when the Law Society limits video commissioning, and what to confirm first.

All 16 Notarization guides

Other guides

Free and Low-Cost Legal Help in British Columbia: Resources by Area of Law

October 23, 2026

Where to find free and low-cost legal help in British Columbia, organized by area of law: legal aid and advice clinics, official forms and registries, and the right court or tribunal, with a link to our own service in each area.

Legal and Government Resources for Our Clients: Official BC Sites, Registries and Forms

October 23, 2026

A guide for our clients to the official government sites, registries, forms and laws they meet in a matter with us, organized by our eight services: what each one is, when you will need it, and the steps we handle for you.