Geoffrey White

First Year of Call

Areas of Practice
Estates & Trusts

Description
Estate and will planning is intensely personal and meaningful—it culminates into a person’s lasting legacy. However, it is often difficult to find the time and resources to make those important decisions. Geoffrey supports our clients with this burden and ensures that their estate goals are implemented in ways that protect wealth and avoid costs and complications.

Geoffrey’s practice of 20+ years has formed his deep knowledge of the rules and laws that apply to wills, estates, trusts and related tax.

Services
Estate Planning including Trusts, Wills, and Company Reorganizations Organizing and governance of societies, charities and tax-effective donations
Estate and Trust Administration (including Probate and non-Probate solutions) Estate & Trust Accountings
Defending and prosecuting claims against the validity of wills including:
Interpreting and proving wills
Undue influence and incapacity claims
Wills variation claims
Lifetime planning for incapacity including:
Powers of Attorney
Representation Agreements, and
Committeeship Applications
As a sought-after authority in his field, Geoffrey leads industry initiatives. Examples include:

Implementation of the Wills, Estates and Succession Act (WESA) (2014)
On the project committee that made WESA legislative recommendations and on the education team to roll it out.
BC’s Estate Probate Manual
Editor of this go-to publication on how to proceed with estate matters
National Past-Chair of the Elder Law section of the CBA
Put together policy positions for Medical Assistance in Dying to make legislative recommendations for the Department of Justice for incorporation into what has now been passed in legislation
These leadership roles position Geoffrey on the frontlines of legislative changes so that he can negate issues before they affect clients.

Geoffrey also has in-depth training to better understand the financial complexities that take place in estate planning. In particular:

Certified Trust and Estate Practitioner
Achieved this certification granted to those who have performed high-level estate work for 10+ years and for more than 50% of their practice
Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants In-Depth Tax Course
Completed this course to better help clients plan their estates tax efficiently
Regularly presenting and educating the industry
Trains other professionals in the field, including accountants, trust officers, financial planners and insurance advisors
The law is the tool that we can use to ensure that our wishes are respected and objectives are met. Geoffrey finds it humbling to advise our clients through some of their most fundamental decisions, helping to carry out what is important at the end of their lives. He ensures that people can have autonomy while their values and loved ones are protected for the long-term.

Awards & Distinctions
King’s Counsel, 2021
Best Lawyers® in Canada, Trusts and Estates, 2019-2025
Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory®, Repeatedly Recommended, Estate & Tax Planning, 2020-2025
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Private Client Awards finalist for Contentious Trusts and Estates Team of the Year 2021