2023 PROGRAM

CBABC’s Wills & Estates Conference Practice Forward puts the spotlight on today’s emerging estate planning landscape. Session topics equip you with the knowledge and practical skills you need to navigate complex issues including undue influence, capacity and decision-making, disclosure requirements and disputes impacting older adult clients. Take this opportunity to network, learn new practice approaches, and even test your legal trivia knowledge over dinner with colleagues and friends.

Read on and discover the topics up for discussion at the Wills & Estates Conference.

9:00-9:30am
Registration Check-In & Breakfast

9:30-9:45am
Musqueam Welcome
Alec Dan, Musqueam First Nation

9:45-9:50am
Conference Welcome | Door Prize Sponsored by:

9:50-10:50am
BCLI’s Undue Influence Guide 2023: Tools & Strategies for Today’s Estate Planner
Gregory Blue, KC and Geoff White, KC share a behind-the-scenes look at the updated BCLI Undue Influence Recognition and Prevention: A Guide for Legal Practitioners. Learn how the project’s interdisciplinary approach led to new strategies for dealing with potential undue influence in estate planning matters including gifts and other property transfers, powers of attorney and more.

Walk away with tips and tools to enhance client communication and to navigate the challenges of this complex area of practice.

Speakers:
Gregory Blue, KC, Senior Staff Lawyer, BC Law Institute
Geoff White, KC, Counsel, Clark Wilson LLP and BCLI Project Committee member

10:50-12:00pm
A Path Forward: The Future of Estate Planning and Dementia-friendly Practices
Presently, there are 85,000 people living with dementia in B.C., and in the next 20 years we expect this number to double. The time is now to forge a new way forward by ensuring our wills & estates practices are dementia-friendly.

This session explores how dementia impacts client interactions, identifies key legal issues, and draws on lived experiences of dementia, to put knowledge into practice and give lawyers the tools and resources to build a dementia-friendly practice.

Speakers:
Jennifer Perry, LLB, Manager, Advocacy & Education, Alzheimer Society of B.C.
Mariana Hudson, MSc, Provincial Coordinator, Advocacy & Education, Alzheimer Society of B.C.
Jim Mann, LL.D. and Volunteer Advocate, Alzheimer Society of B.C.

12:00-12:45pm
Conference Lunch | Sponsored by: 

12:45-1:45pm
Real Estate Planning in the New Disclosure Era
Michael Scott explores the intersection of estate planning and real estate. Participants begin with an overview of the new federal disclosure rules (anticipated to come into force December 2023), then move into several Land Owner Transparency Act and underused housing tax (UHT) issues. Learn how to implement alternative planning options in your practice and create a practice map for the road ahead. 

Speaker: Michael Scott, TEP, Partner, Clark Wilson LLP

1:45-2:45pm
Resolving Disputes Outside of the Courtroom: Incorporating Elder Mediation into Your Practice
This session unpacks how Wills and Estates lawyers can use Elder Mediation to manage complex disputes. Learn about recent updates on the Elder Mediation report written by Vivian Kerenyi and Joan Braun, to understand how and why lawyers with specialized Elder Mediation training can better support older adults and their families. The presenters will review the challenges and opportunities with Elder Mediation and other consensual dispute resolution processes, including Eldercare Coordination and the Collaborative practice model in British Columbia.

This session balances knowledge with skills-based learning so you can implement new techniques into your practice.

Speakers:
Vivian A. Kerenyi, Lawyer & Mediator
Jennifer Woodruff, Collaborative Family Lawyer, Woodruff Law

2:45-3:00pm
Afternoon Break | Sponsored by:  

3:00-4:00pm
Advance Planning for Beneficiaries with a Disability
Effective estate planning for beneficiaries with a disability requires placing financial wellbeing at the forefront. Join Nicole Garton for a deeper dive into topics like important Ministry considerations, how provincial disability benefits impact the estate plan, and trust drafting principles that preserve client eligibility. Learn how to effectively use various planning tools and resources to build an estate plan that delivers a reliable, long-term strategy for the future.

Speaker: Nicole Garton, Lawyer and Mediator, Heritage Law

4:00pm
Closing Remarks

Learn about the Speakers

Order of presentations may be subject to change.