Business Details
50+ Years
experience
Trusted Estate Planning & Legal Services in Vancouver
Spry Hawkins Micner has served the Lower Mainland community since 1948, specializing in estate planning, incapacity planning, and foreclosure matters. Our practice focuses on creating tailored legal solutions for individuals and families, emphasizing clarity, compassion, and thoroughness. With decades of collective experience, we guide clients through complex legal processes while maintaining a strong commitment to community education and support.Our team prioritizes personalized service, ensuring clients feel heard and understood during emotionally challenging times. We actively contribute to public legal education through seminars, workshops, and regular newspaper columns. Recognized for our empathetic approach and technical expertise, we strive to make legal processes accessible and less intimidating for all clients.
Services
Wills
Powers of Attorney
Representation Agreements
Estate Administration
Foreclosure
Committeeship
Guardianship
Details
- Year established: 1948
Highlights and features
- We offer over 70 years of combined legal experience in estate planning
- Our team provides personalized guidance through complex legal processes
- We maintain active community involvement through legal education programs
- Our practice combines technical expertise with compassionate client care
- We deliver thorough, jargon-free explanations of legal requirements
What people say
Empathy and knowledge
Compassionate and thorough
Exceptional bedside manner
Professional and sensitive
Excellent community involvement
Services
Wills
Creating legally sound wills to ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes. Our process includes comprehensive consultations to understand your unique circumstances and family dynamics. We help clients establish clear executor appointments and contingency plans for minor children.
Powers of Attorney
Establishing legal documents to appoint decision-makers for financial matters during incapacity. We guide clients through selecting appropriate attorneys and defining specific powers. Our documents comply with British Columbia's legal requirements while addressing individual needs.
Representation Agreements
Creating binding healthcare directives for medical decision-making. Our agreements ensure your healthcare preferences are respected when you cannot communicate them yourself. We help clients appoint trusted representatives and document end-of-life care instructions.
Estate Administration
Guiding executors through complex estate settlement processes. We assist with probate applications, asset distribution, and debt resolution. Our support includes navigating contested estates and addressing tax implications for beneficiaries.
Foreclosure
Providing legal guidance for mortgage enforcement and defense. We represent both lenders seeking property recovery and homeowners facing foreclosure. Our services include court process navigation and exploring alternative solutions to property loss.
People
Jack Micner
Barrister & Solicitor
Vancouver-born lawyer with over 40 years' experience in estate planning and elder law. Active community educator and columnist for Richmond News. Member of Canadian Bar Association's Wills, Estates and Trusts section.
Questions
What's the difference between property and estate in a will?
Property refers specifically to assets, while estate includes all assets and debts at death. Real property involves land, while personal property includes financial assets and belongings.
How can beneficiaries request an estate bond?
Beneficiaries can request an estate bond through court application if the will includes a bond clause. This protects assets when executor trustworthiness is questionable.
What happens if a beneficiary dies before estate settlement?
If no will exists, assets pass to surviving relatives according to intestacy laws. With a will, alternate beneficiaries typically receive the inheritance if the original beneficiary predeceases the testator.
Can an estate receive inheritance after probate?
Yes, discovered assets after probate require court disclosure and additional probate fees. Executors must submit supplementary affidavits detailing new assets to the court.
How to proceed when locating beneficiaries fails?
Executors should first attempt professional tracing services. If unsuccessful, they can apply to the Supreme Court for alternative notice methods like newspaper advertisements to complete probate processes.
