Blog Posts
Welcome to the Richter Trial Lawyers Blog, where we share insights, updates, and practical guidance from our legal team. Our goal is to help readers understand the latest developments in estate litigation, family law, civil disputes, and personal injury matters in British Columbia. Because the legal world changes often, we work hard to keep this page current, clear, and useful.
What You Will Find on the Richter Trial Lawyers Blog
Here, we publish articles about new decisions from the BC Supreme Court, the BC Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada. These decisions often shape how the law works in real life. As a result, our blog highlights what these rulings mean for individuals, families, and professionals.
We also write about practical issues that clients raise every day. For example, many people want to understand wills variation claims, undue influence in estate planning, time limits in family matters, or how personal injury damages are calculated. Our lawyers break down these topics in plain language so readers can feel more confident about their rights.
Who Writes Our Blog Content
The Richter Trial Lawyers Blog features posts written by members of our legal team, including our managing partner, John M. Richter. Because we appear regularly in court, we bring firsthand experience and real-world context to every article. In addition, our team aims to explain complex legal issues in a way that is straightforward and accessible.
Why Our Blog Matters
We created this blog to give readers quick access to reliable legal information. Although our posts are not legal advice, they can help you understand the issues involved in your case and prepare better questions when meeting with a lawyer. If you want more detail about any topic you see here, we invite you to explore our related practice pages or contact our office for assistance.
The goodfirm Vancouver estate lawyers can help. Many parents leave the remainder of their estate to their children and loved ones after passing. However, where a parent or loved one transfers property to someone else before passing, any transferred assets will not form part of the estate and will pass outside the will. As a […]
If you, or your family and friends, were injured in a motor vehicle accident, you should be aware that the government of British Columbia is in the process of making significant changes to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC). While the amendments will come into force on April 1, 2019, some provisions will be […]
The Vancouver housing market is out of reach for many millennial who increasingly rely on their parents to help finance their first home purchase. In Villeneuve v. Agnew, 2018 BCSC 546, Mr. Justice Verhoeven highlighted the risks that a parent faces when helping a child purchase their first house. In Villeneuve, an ex-girlfriend filed a family law claim […]
When you help your child purchase a house, are you entitled to an interest? As house prices continue to increase in the lower mainland, parents are helping finance their children’s house purchase. Few parents and children sign agreements or seek legal advice before they begin the process and one of the consequences is that parents and children […]
On July 25, 2016, the government imposed the a new tax on foreign nationals acquiring real estate in Vancouver which required buyers to pay a 15% tax on the fair market value of the property. The tax took effect on August 2, 2016 and applied not only to purchase completing on or after that date, […]
In Layes v. Stevens, 2017 BCSC 2011, a plaintiff who rejected a formal offer to settle before trial was ordered to pay for 2/3 of the costs from the time of the offer. On the Friday eve before trial, the defendant offered $490,125.45 to settle the claim. The plaintiff went on to be successful at trial, but […]
What do you do as an excluded spouse? In Unger v. Unger Estate 2017 BCSC 1946, a testator left the residue of his estate to his children and nothing for his second wife of 34 years on account of having already transferred her a half share in the family home. The wife sought to vary the deceased’s last […]
In Bhalla Estate, 2017 BCSC 1867, a testator who did not speak English and was unable to read or write in any language executed her will on July 21, 2008 with the assistance of a lawyer and an unidentified translator. She appointed one of her three children as the executrix and left the entire estate to […]
In Nykoryak v. Anderson 2017 BCSC 1800, A 93 year old testator prepared a new will leaving his estate to two of his three children, excluding his first born and granddaughter. He passed away shortly after. The excluded child and granddaughter disputed that the deceased had the testamentary capacity to make a will and brought an application for […]
In, Re Hadley Estate, 2017 BCCA 311, the BC Court of Appeal had the first opportunity to judicially consider s. 58 of the Wills, Estates and Succession Act, S.B.C. 2009, c. 13. S. 58 of WESA allows the court to “cure” a record, document or marking on a will to make it fully effective as […]
Ms. P, executed a short will on August 18, 1988 appointing a trust company and her cousin as executor and trustee. The cousin was also the sole residual beneficiary of her estate, but passed well before Ms. P. After Ms. P’s death, a copy of the 1988 will as found and it was marked […]
Madam Justice Griffin of the BC Supreme court delivers a recent judgment regarding a contested will and marriage, reaffirming the differing legal tests for capacity to get married and make a will. In Devore-Thompson v. Poulain, 2017 BCSC 1289, an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s married in 2010 and left a will in 2009. The […]
In Ratelle v. Barton 2017 BCSC 1262, a plaintiff’s motorcycle collided with a defendant’s Cadillac near Whistler. The plaintiff flew into a ditch near the road and was quite banged up. A the time of the accident, the defendant was attempting to turn left when the motorcyclist struck his car. The plaintiff maintained the Cadillac driver did […]
A recent judgment out of the Supreme Court of British Columbia by Mr. Justice Butler, sheds some more light on what makes a witness credible. Ponsart v. Kong 2017 BCSC 1126, involved a claim for injuries arising out of three car accidents. Before assessing damages and compensation, Mr. Justice Butler was tasked with determining who was at […]
A woman who claimed psychological injuries from a defective subway sandwich had her case dismissed. Ms. Chow was dining at a Subway location in Victoria when she noticed what appeared to be a small amount of blood on the bun and wrapping paper. She sued for mental distress and shock. Unfortunately, she sued the wrong […]
Can you have more than one spouse under WESA? The short answer is yes. You can have more than one spouse under the Wills, Estates and Succession Act. In, Connor Estate (Re), 2017 BCSC 978, Mr. C applied for a declaration under s. 2 of WESA that he was the spouse of the deceased in […]
Are Overdraft Fees considered a form of “interest” under the Criminal Code? In Bodnar v. Community Savings Credit Union, 2017 BCSC 918, Madam Justice Gray was tasked with determining whether a credit union overdraft charge in excess of $5 is considered “ interest” under s. 347 of the Criminal Code. Section 347 of the Criminal Code […]
Not all disputes deserve to end up in court and a recent property dispute ended up in front of Mr. Justice Wetherill at the Supreme Court of British Columbia. The case of Greenwood v. Hoffer, 2017 BCSC 884, is a cautionary tale about a bitter property dispute in which neither side was victorious considering the significant legal fees […]
The Supreme Court of British Columbia recently revisited liability in rear end collisions. In Gibson v. Matthies, 2017 BCSC 839, a plaintiff was injured when he drove his motorcycle into the back of the defendant’s red truck while driving in Mission, BC. The injured driver claimed the defendant stopped without warning. The court was left […]
When assessing loss of past income and loss of future income in personal injury cases, the courts are called upon to determine the likelihood of hypothetical events. In Grewal v. Naumann, 2017 BCCA 158, the Court of Appeal clarified the law in BC with respect to the standard of proof for hypothetical events, past or […]