NEW WESTMINSTER, BC – The phrase ‘A One Stop Shop’ may seem overused, but it’s still the best way to describe the range of legal services offered by Sea to Sky Law.
Founded in 1991 on the North Shore by Andrew Liggett, Sea to Sky Law (named after the Sea to Sky highway from Vancouver to Pemberton) was created to provide great legal services with empathy and understanding.
A central part of the Sea to Sky model is to make the legal process as understandable, and as stress-free as possible. “For the uninitiated the whole matter of dealing with the law can be confusing or even downright scary. Demystifying it, making it understandable for the client is a huge part of what we do,” Liggett said.
“I was talking with a guy the other day and he made the comment at the end of the conversation that this wasn’t as scary as he thought it would be, expecting big words, lots of jargon and complexities. Removing the mystery – that’s a lot of what we do.”
From its inception Sea to Sky Law has built its expertise on Family Law and all its related legal subjects including Divorce of married couples, Common-Law (marriage-like) relationships, Estate Law, Business Law, Corporate Law, Mediation (BC Qualified), Arbitration (BC Qualified), Elder Law, Real Estate Law, and Med-Arb (a hybrid ADR process combining mediation and arbitration) involving all Levels of BC Court.
“Family law can include many types of different laws – business law, corporate law, estate law, real estate law, tax law, employment law, and more – sometimes all at once. An experienced family lawyer sees the full picture, identifies what matters most, and charts the practical first steps that help keep you out of court,” Liggett explained.
A key legal essential for all of us is making a Last Will & Testament (“Will) because none of us know when the end will happen. It is far more expensive and stressful for our survivors if we do not have a Will. Perhaps more important is a Power of Attorney (POA) and a Representation Agreement because all of us will need help several times before we die and your Will has no legal effect until after we die.
“Even if you do up a Will that’s only the beginning, and it’s only for that moment. Situations change, relationships can alter, tomorrow will bring new circumstances, and maybe a new spouse, and then you add in the children of those relationships and possibly a small business thrown in for good measure – everything integrates. That’s what our firm is all about,” he said.
“We’re living longer, in many cases over that extended period we may have multiple spouses and partners, you may even have more than one spouse at the same time. You can separate from someone, yet it may take years before the divorce is finalized. Of course, in the intervening time you meet someone new and move in together and under the law in BC if you live together as spouses for more than 24 consecutive months then you can be deemed to be in a marriage-like relationship – it can become very complicated.”
Many legal complications can be reduced if not prevented by making a written agreement including business agreements, shareholder agreements, cohabitation and marriage agreements, and many more. Even agreements after the crisis occurs such as a separation agreement, using negotiation and mediation, is a much better solution than expensive litigation.
“An experienced family lawyer sees the full picture, identifies what matters most, and charts the practical first steps that help keep you out of court.”
Andrew Leggett, Sea to Sky Law
Andrew Liggett also has many years of experience using mediation not just litigation to help his clients solve their legal issues. Andrew Liggett is now certified by the BC Law Society as being a BC Family Law Mediator and a BC Family Law Arbitrator. Mediation and Arbitration are known as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) which can be used to resolve disputes both before and after court proceedings are started.
While now headquartered in the Sapperton neighborhood of New Westminster, the original Royal City and centre of the Metro, the Sea to Sky Law Group continues to serve the needs of clients across the province by operating under multiple regional domain names, each corresponding to the area being served such as: Sardislaw.ca (Chilliwack area), Secheltlaw.ca (Sunshine Coast), Northshorelaw.ca (North Shore), Sappertonlaw.ca (New Westminster), and Sumaslaw.ca (Abbotsford area). The Sea to Sky Law Group serves all of British Columbia families, businesses, and individuals from Saanich to Surrey to Squamish to Sechelt to Sardis, and beyond.
“During COVID everyone learned about the value of remote services, not just grocery delivery, for personal needs such as medical advice. COVID educated everybody on both the convenience and value of virtual services because now you can spend less time in traffic looking for an expensive parking space: he explained. “Since most legal advice is verbal and most documents can be emailed, I have developed a law firm which focuses on serving anyone in all of British Columbia, whether by phone or video meetings such as Zoom. If a client needs to physically meet me then we can find a convenient location such as their local co-work office.”
The success experienced by Sea to Sky Law comes in large part from the wealth of family law experience Liggett has gained in his 35 plus years serving his clients and communities with his personable and personalized approach when addressing the needs of each individual client. “It doesn’t matter if they’re in Nanaimo or Kamloops or elsewhere in BC, the same law applies. If a person needs an experienced and friendly advisor than we can do that.”
Sea to Sky Law serving all of BC
