Westcoast Wills and Probate Lawyer

Vancouver | North Vancouver | Burnaby | Squamish

Westcoast Wills

Vancouver | North Vancouver | Burnaby | Squamish
North Vancouver Wills Lawyer

About The Firm

best wills and probate lawyerWe are a firm of eight experienced wills lawyers and probate lawyers. We have four offices: our head office is in North Vancouver; we also have offices located close to West Broadway and Granville in Vancouver, in Squamish and in Burnaby.  Our law firm is committed to community, family and bettering our society. Further to the goal of bettering society, Westcoast donates 1% of all purchases to charity and thrives to limit its environmental impact.  Our estate planning lawyers and probate lawyers also present publicly on the subjects throughout the year.

 

 

 

 

Aimée Ares

Aimée Ares

Lawyer

Aimee was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She moved to the Kootenay’s as a teenager and slowly made her way west to settle in Squamish. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in 2013 and received her Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Alberta in 2018.

During law school, Aimee volunteered with Student Legal Services and Pro Bono Students Canada, assisting low-income individuals with access to justice. After obtaining her JD, Aimee continued to work with Legal Aid by providing free legal consultations at a local senior center.

Prior to joining Westcoast Wills & Estates in 2019, Aimee worked in the areas of corporate & commercial law, real estate, and estate planning. Aimee now assists clients prepare their estate and incapacity planning, which includes, wills, trusts, powers of attorney and healthcare representation agreements. She also works with executors to obtain grants of probate and distribute estate assets.

In her spare time, Aimee enjoys cycling, backcountry camping, drinking coffee, and spending time with her partner and one year-old daughter.

Aron Chitsaz

Aron Chitsaz

Lawyer

Aron grew up in Kamloops. He moved to Vancouver in September 2012 and completed a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours from the Sauder School of Business at UBC. He also attended law school at UBC and took part in the Business Law Clinic.  Aron graduated from law school in May 2019.

Prior to joining Westcoast Wills & Estates, Aron worked in a boutique litigation firm where he practiced partly in estate litigation. Aron now assists clients with estate planning, including wills, powers of attorney, and trusts. He also routinely assists executors and prepares applications for grants of probate.  He regularly presents publicly on estate planning and probate. He is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Vancouver.

Aron is in our corporate law group as well and helps entrepreneurs structure and incorporate companies.

In his spare time, Aron enjoys cooking, playing guitar, exploring Vancouver’s restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.

Katrina Law

Katrina Law

Lawyer

Katrina was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Honours Economics Co-op and a minor in Management Studies from the University of Waterloo prior to receiving her Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of British Columbia in 2020.

During law school, Katrina was involved with the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program, which provides free legal advice to low-income individuals. She also participated in the Corporate Counsel Externship where she interned at a Vancouver-based technology company.

Prior to joining Westcoast Wills & Estates, Katrina worked at a boutique family litigation firm. Katrina’s current practice focuses on estate planning, including drafting wills, powers of attorney, and representation agreements. Katrina also assists executors with obtaining grants of probate. Katrina is our estate planning and probate lawyer in Burnaby.

Outside of work, Katrina enjoys exploring Vancouver’s food scene and attending local music shows.

Brendon Pope

Brendon Pope

Lawyer

Brendon was born and raised in North Vancouver. He attended Brooksbank Elementary and Sutherland Secondary Schools.  He studied Philosophy and English Literature at UBC prior to receiving his Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Alberta in 2020.

During his time at law school, he volunteered with Student Legal Services where he assisted low-income individuals navigate the legal system.

Brendon regularly assists clients with their estate and incapacity planning – including, Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney and Representation Agreements. He also advises and works with executors to obtain grants of probate. Brendon regularly presents publicly on estate law topics such as trusts, estate planning, medical assistance in dying and probate. 

When not in the office, Brendon enjoys skiing, brewing beer, riding his bike on the North Shore mountains and playing board games with friends.

Jessica Poon

Jessica Poon

Lawyer

Originally from Hong Kong, Jessica moved to Vancouver in June 2007, where she attended Crofton House for high school. She earned her law degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2016, and subsequently received her Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada in 2017.

Prior to joining Westcoast Wills & Estates, Jessica worked at a boutique family litigation firm in downtown Vancouver where she represented clients at both the Provincial Court and the Supreme Court of BC. Jessica’s current practice focuses on family law and estate planning and administration. She assists clients with preparing wills, trusts, powers of attorney, representation agreements, cohabitation/marriage agreements, and separation agreements. She also assists clients with court applications for uncontested divorces and probate and related matters. Jessica is fluent in Cantonese and speaks conversational Mandarin. She often presents to the public about all things to do with estate planning and probate law.

In her spare time, Jessica enjoys traveling and exploring Vancouver’s restaurants with her friends and family. She equally enjoys spending time at home unwinding with her anxiety-ridden rescue dog.

Nancy Tran

Nancy Tran

Lawyer

Nancy was born and raised in Vancouver. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and later received her Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Victoria in 2022.

While attending law school, Nancy volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada, which helps low-income individuals navigate the legal system. She also interned at a non-profit organization in North Vancouver, where she assisted with housing and family matters.

Prior to joining Westcoast Wills & Estates, Nancy worked at a downtown law firm in the areas of estate planning, real estate, trusts, and family law. Currently, her practice focuses on estate and incapacity planning, which includes wills, powers of attorney, representation agreements, and trusts. Nancy speaks fluent Vietnamese.

Outside of work, Nancy enjoys baking, spending time with her loved ones, and travelling.

Katrina Yaworsky

Katrina Yaworsky

Lawyer

Katrina was born and raised in West Vancouver.  She attended Caulfeild Elementary and Rockridge Secondary schools.  She earned a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours from UBC’s Sauder School of Business in 2011 and received her Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Dalhousie University, in Halifax, in 2014.

While attending law school, Katrina gained experience with the UBC Law Students’ Legal Advice Program, a non-profit society that provides pro bono legal advice and representation.  To complement her academics, Katrina volunteered as a pro bono legal assistant for the Provincial Autism Centre. Currently, Katrina is an executive committee member of YES! Vancouver, a philanthropic group that fundraises for Dress for Success Vancouver.

Prior to joining Westcoast Wills & Estates, Katrina worked at a downtown law firm in the areas of corporate/commercial law, real estate, and wills and estates law.  Katrina’s current practice focuses on business law and estate planning and administration. Katrina works with clients who are estate planning, applying for grant of probate, incorporating companies, entering into shareholder or partnership agreements, and implementing corporate reorganizations.

Katrina enjoys reading fiction and experiencing diverse cultures through traveling.  Katrina’s love of traveling encouraged her to study commerce abroad in Milan, Italy at the Università Bocconi and to study law in Lund, Sweden at Lund University.

Kirsten Wharton

Kirsten Wharton

Associate Counsel - Lawyer

Kirsten was born and raised in Vancouver. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia in 2004 and received her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Victoria in 2008.

During law school, Kirsten worked at the Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies assisting with law reform research on legal issues affecting older adults.  After graduating, she practiced for seven years with a prominent law firm in White Rock, advising individuals in the areas of wills, estates and trusts, real estate law and family law. Kirsten regularly advises on all aspects of estate planning and incapacity planning, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, representation agreements for healthcare, committeeship applications, and other tools to minimize taxes on death and to effectively provide for beneficiaries. She also advises executors and administrators on probate and estate administration.  Since 2015, Kirsten has acted as an instructor for the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C. teaching other lawyers about the areas of Will drafting, estate planning and estate administration. She is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia and the Canadian Bar Association’s Wills & Trusts and Elder Law subsections.

In her spare time, Kirsten enjoys travelling, cooking, exploring the west coast mountains, and spending time with family and friends in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island.

Mike Beishuizen

Mike Beishuizen

Lawyer

Mike was born and raised in North Vancouver. He attended Ross Road Elementary and Argyle Secondary in Lynn Valley. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from UBC prior to earning his Bachelor of Laws degree from Dalhousie Law School in Halifax in 2006.

Before and during law school, he worked at a credit union in North Vancouver. Following law school, he worked in the areas of estate administration, environmental law and corporate law in Vancouver. He has always had a passion for wills and estate planning law; and as a consequence, he founded Westcoast Wills & Estates. He regularly advises clients on estate planning and prepares Wills, Trusts, Representation Agreements and Powers of Attorney. He also advises and helps clients apply to court for probate and committeeship orders.  A practicing lawyer, Mike is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia and the Canadian Bar Association’s Wills & Trusts and Elder Law subsections. He has earned the TEP designation as a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP Canada). He is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Vancouver. He is also a past board member of the Marineview Housing Society and sat on an advisory panel for the BC Cancer Agency.  He regularly attends continuing education courses and frequently presents publicly on trusts and estate planning for financial institutions, charities and educational institutions around Vancouver.

In his spare time, Mike helps coaching soccer and baseball as well as hiking and camping on local mountains with his family.

Jean-Ann

Jean-Ann

Estate Administrator

Jean-Ann moved to Vancouver over 25 years ago and she worked as an Administrative Assistant in two large accounting firms. Jean-Ann always had a love of law and decided to leave the work force and attend Capilano University where she obtained her Legal Adminstrative Certificate.

Upon completion of the program, she worked for the law firm, Borden, Ladner, Gervais as a legal assistant, managing the administrative needs of two partners.   After 7 years with BLG, she decided to stay at home and raise her two young children. Now that they’re grown up, she joined the team at Westcoast Wills & Estates as office manager.

In her spare time, Jean-Ann loves to cycle, attend Crossfit classes and relax with yoga. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Kristi

Kristi

Office Manager

Kristi was born and raised in North Vancouver. She attended Carisbrooke Elementary, Balmoral Junior Secondary and Carson Graham Secondary. After completing high school, she received a soccer scholarship to Capilano University where she went on to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2015. In 2018 she studied Graphic Design at BCIT and earned her associates certificate.

During her time at Capilano University, Kristi worked closely with the public at Grouse Mountain.  She later decided that she wanted to work helping others in an office setting. For several years, she worked as a receptionist at the Labour Relations Board before joining the team at Westcoast Wills & Estates.

In her spare time Kristi enjoys playing soccer, hiking the local mountains with her two huskies and traveling. She also enjoys spending time with her loved ones.

Tray

Tray

Writer

Tray was born and raised in Vancouver. They graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and English Literature in 2017.

During their time at UBC, Tray spent their summers teaching creative technology to children and teens in the lower mainland. Prior to joining Westcoast Wills & Estates, they worked in customer service and provided office services for various law firms in Vancouver.

Tray spends their free time volunteering, making comics, collecting stickers, and spending time with loved ones.

Alex

Alex

Writer

Alex was born and raised in Vancouver. He attended False Creek Elementary School and Kitsilano Secondary School. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia in 2016, where he studied English with an emphasis on language.

Before joining Westcoast Wills & Estates, Alex has worked as an English studies teaching assistant and as an accounting assistant for three years.

In his spare time, Alex enjoys reading, cooking, bouldering, and spending time with family and friends.

Oliver

Oliver

Writer

Oliver was born and raised in China. They attended secondary school in England and later graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology in 2020.

While in university, Oliver worked in customer service and tutored math to elementary and secondary school students in Vancouver. They also volunteered with various non-profit organizations to support marginalized individuals in the community.

Outside of work, you can find them taking photos, watching movies, volunteering, and spending time with loved ones. Their favourite Nintendo character is K.K. Slider.

Charlotte

Charlotte

Writer

Charlotte was born and raised in South Africa, and spent her teenage years in the United Kingdom. She graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors in Film & Media Studies in 2012.

While at university, Charlotte oversaw operations of the Manchester Metropolitan University Freestyle Snow Sports team. Since graduation, Charlotte has immersed herself in new cultures and experiences living in France, New Zealand, and Australia before settling in Canada in 2015.

Charlotte has a passion for animals and the outdoors; in her free time she enjoys snowboarding, hiking, camping, and volunteering at local animal shelters.

Tori

Tori

Assistant

Tori spent most of her childhood and teenage years on the north shore. During those years, she attended Ross Road Elementary School and Argyle Secondary School, where she participated in the French Immersion Program.  In 2021 she graduated from Simon Fraser University with her Bachelor of Arts in History.

During her time at Simon Fraser University, Tori worked in various customer service positions as well as volunteering with the public. This is where she discovered her love for helping others. In her spare time Tori enjoys spending time with loved ones, exploring the outdoors, cooking, reading, and volunteering.

Nicole

Nicole

Assistant

Nicole was born and raised in North Vancouver. She attended St. Edmund’s Elementary School and St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Secondary School. She graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2022, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Minor in Commerce.

During her time at university, she worked in various positions that involved helping others – such as working as a notetaker and at the guest services department at Capilano Suspension Bridge.

In her free time, she loves spending time with family and friends, cooking, and traveling.

Ava

Ava

Assistant

Ava was born in Vancouver but spent her childhood in California. She graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2023, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Law & Society.

During her time at university, she worked closely with the public as an active member of the UBC Persian Club and volunteer English tutor for at-risk students in the Downtown East Side. She also strengthened her interest in the law through the Student Directed Seminar program at UBC, where she co-facilitated a course about American Constitutional Law.

In her free time, Ava loves baking, scrapbooking, and collecting/reading vintage books.

Jeremy

Jeremy

Paralegal

Jeremy was an experienced wills and estates lawyer.  He recently earned his second masters degree in law.  He helps support our staff with his wealth of knowledge, although he does not practice law with us any more.