Best Lawyers Near You in Vancouver, British Columbia for Trusts and Estates
Andrea is a lawyer in the Private Wealth Group at Farris LLP. She focuses her practice on assisting clients with sophisticated estate and trust planning and administration. She provides succession planning advice and works with clients to craft trust documents, wills and testamentary instruments, powers of attorney and representation agreements which respond to their specific needs. Andrea also provides services to executors and trustees. Andrea is a frequent speaker for a wide variety of gro...
Stephen is a Vancouver-based lawyer who specializes in charities law and estate planning. Stephen provides advice and services to all clients – charities, not-for-profit organizations, foundations, boards, schools, social entrepreneurs, individuals, families, and business owners – in the following areas: Charities Law: Incorporation, Charitable Registration, Board Governance, Compliance and Tax, and Gift Planning. Estate Planning: Wills, Incapacity Planning, Trusts, Business Succe...
Helen Low, KC is the leader of Fasken’s Wills, Trusts, Estates and Charities Group in BC. She assists clients with contentious disputes regarding wills, trusts, inheritances, powers of attorneys and elderly and incapable family members, as well as estate planning for both simple and complex estates with a goal to avoid post-death disputes. She has been litigation counsel on a broad range of cases, including: challenges to estate plans; variation of wills and trusts; abuse of powers of a...
Estate and will planning is intensely personal and meaningful—it culminates into a person’s lasting legacy. However, it is often difficult to find the time and resources to make those important decisions. Geoffrey supports our clients with this burden and ensures that their estate goals are implemented in ways that protect wealth and avoid costs and complications. Work Highlights Successful BC business family Implemented an estate plan that ensures a tax- and cost-efficient transf...
Emma Ferguson is a member of our Wills, Estates + Trusts Practice Group. Emma has a broad wills, estates and trusts practice. She advises clients on all aspects of estate and incapacity planning, including wills, alter ego, joint partner and family trusts, powers of attorney and healthcare representation agreements. Emma has experience assisting clients with disabilities or their family members with planning to protect government disability benefits and advises clients on adult guardianship m...
Polly is a partner practicing in the areas of Estates & Trusts and Elder Law. She regularly assists clients in resolving contentious estate, trust, and elder law issues involving significant and emotional personal matters, and with estate and incapacity planning to provide certainty and peace of mind for the future. She has appeared before the Courts in British Columbia and before the Supreme Court of Canada. Polly excels in providing thorough and detailed analysis of complex legal issues...
Navigating legal matters involving the death or incapacity of a loved one is an emotionally-charged experience, which many clients find difficult. For a decade, clients have entrusted Gordon to guide them through their estates and trusts disputes with practical advice, sound strategy, and unwavering support throughout the process. Whether client matters are ultimately resolved through negotiations or in the courtroom, Gordon knows that preparation and positioning from the outset are critical ...
Patrick F. Lewis is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Trusts and Estates. Patrick F., who practices law in Vancouver, British Columbia, has been recognized since 2011. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Scott Boucher focuses his practice on commercial litigation, with particular emphasis on trusts and estate disputes, as well as insolvency and restructuring matters. He advises clients on a broad range of issues, including wills variation and validity claims, elder law and capacity matters, receiverships, CCAA and bankruptcy proceedings, foreclosures, and contract, corporate, and property disputes. He has appeared before the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the British Columbia Court of App...
Laura West is engaged in a general practice in the areas of wealth management, estates, trusts, charity and not-for-profit law. She advises clients on wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare representation agreements, charitable giving, family business succession planning, corporate re-organizations and estate administration, as well as the establishment, governance and regulation of charities and non-profit organizations. Ms. West has taught wills and estate planning at the University ...
Growing up working Saturdays and summers in the small business his father started, Richard experienced firsthand the things that are needed to keep a business going. Early mornings. Hard work. Keeping customers happy. Today, with a legal practice focused on providing tax, trust and estate advice, Richard still draws on those early lessons, recognizing that he is dealing with people’s livelihoods and families. He works with our clients to define their family, business and tax objectives ...
Mary Hamilton, K.C. is a Partner in the firm’s Wills, Estates + Trusts and Charities + Non-Profit Practice Groups. Mary has extensive experience in matters relating to wills, trusts and estate administration. She has held senior positions with various wills, estates and trusts groups in Vancouver and was named Vancouver Trusts and Estates “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers ® in Canada in 2011, 2017 and 2021. Mary has over 30 years of experience advising clients about t...
Mediation gives people more control over the outcome of their disputes and provides privacy over what are often highly sensitive issues for the parties involved. Many people do not fully realize the lack of control one faces at trial nor do people understand the truly public nature of the courthouse. As a mediator, Diane helps clients overcome legal challenges in a fair and efficient manner. She manages emotions and expectations, and, by engaging in an active risk analysis, she helps to achie...
Martina Zanetti is a lawyer on our private wealth, trusts and estates team. Her practice focuses on estate planning, estate administration, and incapacity matters. Martina assists clients with preparing wills, powers of attorney and healthcare representation agreements, as well as the documentation required to establish and fund discretionary family trusts, alter ego trusts, joint partner trusts and other trust structures. She possesses a strong base in family law, which she utilizes to assis...
Catherine practices in estate and trust planning, as well as estate administration. She focuses on personal estate and business succession planning and advises on matters such as: wealth preservation, probate minimization and incapacity planning. Catherine’s background in tax also equips her to navigate various income tax and regional real estate tax issues and to provide comprehensive solutions that complement her extensive background in estates and corporate law. She works with accoun...
Vancouver is fast becoming an international city, drawing people from all over the world. Years ago, Lauren moved here from China, where she was born, raised and educated. Today, she is one of just a few English-fluent and native-Chinese litigators practicing within a major law firm in Vancouver. Her cross-cultural background allows her to assist a wide range of clients across a variety of demographics as Vancouver grows more each day into a global hub. After her first university degree in Ch...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.