Assistant: Brianna Bravaro | [email protected]
Heather Mathison is a senior lawyer with the firm. Heather’s practice focuses on Wills & Estates Litigation, Family Law, and Civil Litigation.
After graduating from the University of Alberta law school in 2009, she articled with a large, full-service downtown Vancouver law firm. She began her legal career in 2010 and has practiced in small to mid-sized firms in Vancouver.
Heather has advised and represented clients on a variety of litigation matters in British Columbia including before Administrative Boards and Tribunals, the Provincial Court, the Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeal.
Experience in diverse practice areas has taught Heather to adapt her litigation skills to whatever context is relevant to her clients. In the process, she has experience dealing with all aspects of case preparation, attendance in court for applications or trial, and negotiating and mediating matters.
Heather is equally comfortable in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. She knows that going to court does not always produce the best outcome for a client and that it is frequently necessary to apply creative problem-solving to the litigation context to have the best chance of a resolution that fits the needs of her clients and their families.
Heather is committed to educating her clients so that they fully understand the dispute resolution and litigation process at each stage of a file. She understands that even when spouses, families, or other persons have a dispute, important ongoing relationships may need to be preserved. Heather considers the context of her clients’ lives when working with them to achieve a result that supports their vision for themselves moving forward.
Education
- LLB, University of Alberta, 2009
Bar Admissions
- British Columbia, 2010
Memberships and Affiliations
Heather’s professional affiliations include:
- Member, Law Society of BC
- Member, Vancouver Bar Association
- Member, Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch
- CBA Young Lawyers Executive Board Member:
- 2016/17 Registration Officer
- 2015/16 Registration Officer
- 2014/15 Legislation Liaison
Community Involvement
Heather has given back to the community by participating in the Legal Aid program for family law files and child protection matters and presenting as a speaker on behalf of Legal Aid to victims services workers.
Representative Work
In addition to numerous Supreme Court chambers applications and hearings in Provincial Court, Heather was counsel in the following decisions:
Amisano v Amisano, 2024 BCSC 1158 – rescission of appointment of a committee and appointment of the Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia in his place for the benefit of an incapable adult.
Nguyen v Liang, 2023 BCSC 1963 – assisted on a lengthy application with senior counsel where Heather represented the widowed husband in a wills variation matter. Senior counsel and Heather successfully resisted the OP’s application to kick the widowed husband out of the family home after his spouse’s death. Senior counsel and Heather also successfully obtained orders restricting the executor’s access to the family home except in limited circumstances as proposed by the husband.
Liang v. Nguyen, 2023 BCCA 67 – assisted senior counsel on the appeal of the order in and successfully resisted the appellant’s application for a stay of an adjournment order.
NKR v TSG, 2023 BCSC 738 – interim application, representing the mother in this family law dispute. Heather obtained an order imputing guideline income of $103,117 on the father, child support of $973 per month, and an order requiring the father to pay 80% of section 7 special expenses.
Anastacio v Murray, 2022 BCSC 897 – successfully resisted an interim application for child support and special expenses for a step-child, for spousal support, and for an interim distribution of property. The court found that there were many areas of direct conflict in the parties’ evidence, many significant gaps in the evidence and unanswered questions, and that the opposing party had not made out a prima facie case that the parties were in a marriage-like relationship during the relevant period.
Ross v. Parihar, 2021 BCPC 96 – successfully resisted an application to dismiss based on allegations of the expiry of a limitation period and received the first decision in British Columbia acknowledging that text messages meet the requirements of bearing an electronic signature under the Electronic Transactions Act.
JDC v. KLMFC, 2015 BCSC 2398 – obtained the largest fine possible against the opposing party for non-disclosure of documents and obtained an award for 50% special costs in favour of her client. Essentially the Judge punished the opposing party for his financial dealings in this matter.
JDC v. KLMFC, 2014 BCSC 2182 – assisted with a 17-day trial in this high conflict dispute. This case has been cited and relied upon in subsequent litigation and the reasons for judgment draw substantially from Heather’s written submissions.
Other reported decisions in this high conflict matter where Heather was counsel include: JDC v. KLMFC, 2016 BCSC 1057 and JDC v. KLMFC, 2016 BCSC 509
LKS v. FLS, 2013 BCSC 2064 – counsel in a family law summary trial.
LLJ v. EJ, 2013 BCSC 1233 – counsel on a matter that involved one of the first interpretations of new Family Law Act legislation regarding relocation of children. Heather successfully obtained an order that the Child not be moved. This case also interpreted the interim distribution section of the Family Law Act and set the evidentiary standard required for a court to make an interim distribution.
Beach Town House Apartments Ltd. v. British Columbia (Assessor of Area #09 – Vancouver Sea to Sky Region), 2012 BCCA 409 – property assessment appeal board matter appealed to the court.