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.
Vancouver family lawyers know that parents must carefully consider family law settlements before agreeing to terms. In February 2015, an “intactivist” Florida mother made headlines when she disappeared with her son because Florida courts ordered that she agree to circumcise her son. “Intactivists” believe that circumcision is medically unnecessary and urge doctors not to perform […]
Vancouver family lawyers know that British Columbia parents must pay child support. Child support is the right of the child, not the parent. What if a parent dies? Does the parent continue to owe child support after they are dead? In McLeod v. McLeod, 2013 BCCA 552, the BC Court of Appeal dealt with this […]
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 […]
Master Baker confirms that lawyers should agree on both “any facts or assumptions of fact agreed to by the parties” and “any assumptions of facts” that the party wishes the expert to consider” before the expert is appointed. In Parton v. Parton, the parties had entered a consent order appointing a joint expert in business […]
While reading the news last week, I came upon a CBC article of a woman suing her employer for being refused paid maternity leave for her pet (from CBC.ca). I highly doubt that she’ll get anything other than awareness to animal law from her claim. However, it does make you question whether family pets are […]
In a March 2015 decision about the division of family property, Walburger v. Lindsay, Madam Justice Fitzpatrick applies the significantly unfair test to the division of a home in Parksville on Vancouver Island. Under the Family Law Act, property is divided into family property and excluded property. Family property is divided equally unless the husband […]
Clarissa Szakacs, a 46 year old mother of a 6 year old child, met her child’s father online and became pregnant during their first meeting in person. She and the child’s father, Donovan Clarke, never cohabited. Since her child’s birth, Ms. Szakacs has worked vehemently to keep Mr. Clarke from his daughter. In reasons reported […]
Carson Dean, a 14 year old student at Wellington Secondary School in Nanaimo thought it would be a fun prank to attach his friend’s padlock to the sprinkler head in his school. Upon jumping for several minutes, Carson managed to attach the lock causing the sprinklers in the entire school to become activated. Carson’s actions […]
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 […]
Beneficiaries have to be able to trust their trustee. Period. Trusts occur in different ways: Automatically by operation of the law, by express written document, or by express unwritten agreement. Sometimes trustees don’t know they’re trustees because the trust has arisen automatically by operation of the law. That is no excuse. The relationship between a […]
A beneficial interest is a term used to describe the situation that occurs when something is held in “trust”. You may have a beneficial interest in something if you are the “real” owner of it, but legally it is “held” by someone else. For example, Benny is 80 years old. Benny buys this house with […]
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 […]