Kayla Thompson

Kayla Thompson is a partner at Duncan Craig LLP in Edmonton, Alberta, and practises in the firm’s Estates Solutions practice group and a designated Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP). Her recognized practice areas include Trusts and Estates. Kayla advises individuals, families, retirees, business owners, and others on estate planning, estate administration, and trust matters. She also assists owner-managers with planning for the orderly transition of a family business.

Kayla provides practical guidance on wills, powers of attorney, personal directives, family trusts, and succession-focused corporate reorganizations. She assists families after the death of a loved one, including with applications for grants of probate where there is a will and grants of administration where there is not. Her estate administration work includes addressing creditor claims, selling and transferring assets, winding up companies, and facilitating distributions to beneficiaries.

Kayla also helps families plan for the care and financial support of loved ones with disabilities through disability trusts designed to preserve eligibility for social assistance and assured-income benefits. She advises on adult guardianship and trusteeship matters, including related court applications. Throughout her work, Kayla takes a caring, thoughtful, and responsive approach and explains legal issues in clear, accessible terms.

In Kayla’s Own Words:

“I like to say that my primary job is not simply to practise law, but to guide and coach my clients when fear or grief is making it difficult to take the next steps. As an estate lawyer, I help families plan for the future by preparing them to transfer wealth to the next generation and care for their loved ones. I also help reduce the stress involved in administering a loved one’s estate so that clients can focus on what matters most.

“I am a meticulous planner, both personally and professionally, and I value identifying issues early and developing clear, practical plans. My colleagues and clients describe me as caring and empathetic, with a clear and efficient communication style they can rely on.”

Kayla was called to the Alberta Bar in 2018 after receiving her Juris Doctor, with Distinction, from the University of Alberta in 2017. She teaches Wills and Administration at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. Kayla is a member of the Law Society of Alberta’s Finance and Audit Committee and serves on the board of the Edmonton Branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

Before entering legal practice, Kayla worked in accounting. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce, with Distinction, in 2010, became a Chartered Accountant in 2013, and worked in audit and assurance at an international accounting firm. She later led financial reporting for a publicly listed oil and gas company. This background supports her work with estates, trusts, business succession, and financially complex matters.