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 Supreme Court of Canada has issued a landmark decision that will reshape family law and civil litigation across the country. In Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia, 2026 SCC 16, the Court formally recognized a new common law tort of intimate partner violence (“IPV”).For survivors of abuse, the decision represents a significant shift in how Canadian courts […]
In an earlier blog post, “Fighting over Fluffy: Who Gets to Keep the Family Pet?”, we discussed how British Columbia courts historically treated pets as personal property under the Family Law Act. Since then, the legal landscape has changed significantly. The British Columbia Supreme Court’s decision in Bayat v. Mavedati, 2024 BCSC 619, is one […]
Recently a Vancouver judge made it clear which antics he thought were too much in divorce court. We have blogged on this site before about the importance of legal advice and what to avoid when presenting the court with affidavit evidence here and here. In the recent case of Zandbergen v. Craig, Justice Smith was […]
Recently Vancouver family lawyers were reminded that not only parents but also step-parents may be responsible for supporting their step kids after divorce. In EZ v. PZ, 2017 BCSC 375, Justice Baird heard a case in which the mother and purported father were married at the time that the mother gave birth to a child […]
People always assume it is a good idea to put property or bank accounts in joint names with their spouses. They buy a house where they will live, and they put it in joint tenancy. They open a bank account so they can pay their bills, and they put it in joint names. Often, people […]
Mr. Justice Skolrood of the BC Supreme Court has ordered that he can step in where necessary and require parents to sign a consent form for Nexus passes. In Pasco v. Pasco, 2016 BCSC 2484, the mother lived in White Rock and the father was unwilling to provide consent for her to travel cross-border for […]
Deciding whether to get a divorce can be stressful. It is often the most stressful time in your life. How will you pay your bills? What will you get in the divorce? What about the kids? Where will you live? What does your new life look like? All of these questions are often floating around […]
If you are not married and your claim for spousal support is pursuant to the BC Family Law Act, you must apply within one year of separation. If you are married and your claim for spousal support is pursuant to the Divorce Act, there is no time limit to apply for spousal support. This issue […]
The Family Law Act was meant to simplify property division on divorce in British Columbia. So far in practice, it seems to have had the opposite effect. Vancouver family lawyers are finding it more difficult to advise spouses of their legal rights and obligations on divorce. In July 2010, the Ministry of Attorney General Justice […]
Like everything in family law, spousal support and your right to it are different shades of gray. Nothing is black and white, and therefore nothing is an easy, yes or no answer. In part it depends on what came first? Spousal support or a new spouse. In part it depends on the reason you’re entitled […]
When couples get engaged and get married, they often hope that the relationship will withstand the test of time and circumstance. They often see their union as a romantic venture rather than the financial partnership that it also is. And having a conversation about prenuptial agreements is probably one of the last items most couples to […]
In family law, claims of adultery are generally irrelevant to any issue other than whether there has been a breakdown of the relationship. Adulterers continue to have all of the rights and obligations found in the Family Law Act. On July 20, 2015, CBC reported that Ashley Madison, the popular infidelity website which encourages married […]
In British Columbia, a common law relationship is what the courts call it once two people have lived together in a marriage-like relationship for more than 2 years.
BC family lawyers and parents are recently reminded that there is no presumption of equality in parenting time. In BCB v. RWB 2014 BCSC 622 released yesterday, Master Baker reminds us that the best interests of the child is the most important consideration in determining parenting time. Further, he states that which parent is ostensibly […]
Picture chicken little: “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!”. That is the attitude most people are exhibiting in news articles in relation to the new Family Law Act that comes into force in BC today. Richter Trial Lawyers is here to say: The sky is NOT falling! Yes, common law couples are going […]
Today, the Toronto Sun reported that the term “parents” is being redefined in Kansas where a man is being sued for child support for a child that was conceived after he donated sperm to a lesbian couple. Before donating the sperm, it is reported that the man also entered into an agreement with the couple […]