In this issue - #167 January 31, 2013

Why did you become a lawyer?

I decided to become a lawyer while in my undergrad program at the University of Alberta.  I was studying criminology and some of the issues we were dealing with were legal issues.  In some classes, the most interesting questions raised by students were questions that the professor could not answer because she said they were questions a lawyer would need to answer.  I found those issues the most interesting so I thought going to law school and being a lawyer would be an interesting career.

There are many types of income splitting strategies which are used in Canada. All of them are based on the fact that in Canada each person is taxed separately. As a result, there are significant tax savings where income is divided among family members.  It works particularly well with children who are 18 years old or older and are full-time students.  It is possible to put together a strategy where your children’s tuition fees and education costs are completely paid for with tax-free money.

I have represented several clients involved in hit and run cases and in each case I have been routinely disappointed at the unfair approach taken by ICBC.  As it turns out, I’m not the only one that thinks their approach is unfair.

This list is developed jointly by the BBB, British Columbia Securities Commission, Consumer Protection BC, the Competition Bureau of Canada, the RCMP and the Vehicle Sales Authority. The Top Ten Scams are divided up into nine major categories with the top scam highlighted in each, plus their Scam of the Year.

The legal profession uses all kinds of words and phrases that are quite mysterious to most people who have not been involved in the process. I will attempt to demystify some of these words and concepts.

This article in Medical News Today explains why Hospital MRIs are better at predicting long-term outcomes for people with mild traumatic brain injuries than CT scans.

What happens if you are appointed Executor?

If you have been appointed Executor in a Will there are a wide range of obligations and responsibilities that you must fulfill. However, if you do not wish to act as the Executor, you may decline to do so by renouncing your Executorship and signing the appropriate documents so that the Alternate Executor may act or so that some other person may apply for ‘Letters of Administration’.

When a couple separates, there often is a plethora of uncertainties to deal with, financial, emotional and practical. Where a child (or children) will reside and with whom is top of the mind for parents when separating.

Pushor Mitchell is a proud supporter of two annual student awards at the Kelowna Campus of Okanagan College. The Pushor Mitchell Bursary is for students enrolled in a degree program who are intending to pursue a career in law.
 

Paul Mitchell, Q.C. recently settled a very complicated personal injury product liability lawsuit. The lawsuit involved a driveshaft that fell from a large commercial vehicle in northern BC, which impacted an oncoming car, causing the car to veer into the oncoming lane and collide with a truck and trailer. Paul Mitchell acted for the driver and passenger of the car, who were seriously injured.

Check out the top 10 Legally weird stories of 2012: http://blogs.findlaw.com/legally_weird/2012/12/top-10-legally-weird-stories-of-2012.html#more