DIVISION OF PROPERTY AND DEBT

In British Columbia, property and debt division upon separation is mainly governed by the British Columbia Family Law Act, which came into effect on March 18, 2013. Since then, the interpretation of this new legislation has been developing through court decisions.  Other areas of law, such as trust law, may also be relevant to property division in some cases.  Various factors may affect the division of property and debt, including whether or not the parties were married, the length of the cohabitation of unmarried couples, when the parties began to cohabit and when they separated, when and how the assets in question were acquired, and when the debts in question were incurred.   There are strict time limits for making a claim for the division of property and debt.

We inform and advise our client about this complicated area of family law, and we understand that property and debt matters are frequently the key to our client’s future financial security. In many circumstances we collaborate with experts such as tax professionals, business valuators, actuaries, and appraisers.