We are a full-service law firm, providing an extensive range of legal services in the Fraser Valley.
We handle every legal step of buying, selling, or refinancing a home in Abbotsford and across the Fraser Valley. Whether you are a first-time buyer waiting on your subject removal date or a homeowner switching lenders, our team manages the paperwork, the deadlines, and the funds so your transaction closes on time and without surprises. With over 20 years of experience in BC real estate law, we know what can go wrong in a conveyancing file, and we build our process to catch it before it does.
Once your contract of purchase and sale is firm (all subjects removed), your lawyer takes over the legal side of the deal: reviewing the contract, ordering title and tax searches, preparing the transfer and mortgage documents, meeting with you to sign before completion day, and registering the transfer at the Land Title Office. On completion day, we exchange funds with the other side’s lawyer, register your title, and release the keys through your realtor (or directly to you, if there is no realtor involved) on possession day. Our job is to make sure the money and the paperwork move in the right direction, at the right time, so nothing holds up your move.
Once your real estate transaction is firm and conditions have been removed, we receive your contract of purchase and sale from your realtor or directly from you. From there, our team gathers the information needed to complete your file: title searches, tax certificates, and mortgage instructions from your lender. We contact you to set up a signing appointment with one of our lawyers a few business days before your completion date, walk you through every document, and confirm you understand what you are signing.
On completion day, title transfers and funds move between the parties, and keys change hands on possession day, usually one to three days later. Most files run three to eight weeks from subject removal to completion, so the sooner your lender and realtor get us your information, the more comfortably we can meet your dates.
Your closing costs generally fall into two buckets: our legal fee for handling the file, and third-party disbursements such as land title registration charges, tax certificates, and, where it applies, property transfer tax. We give every client a clear breakdown before you commit, so there are no surprises at your signing appointment.
Many buyers do not realize they may qualify for a reduction or full exemption from property transfer tax. The First Time Home Buyers’ Program can eliminate the tax entirely on qualifying purchases below a set threshold, provided you have lived in BC and filed BC tax returns for the required period and have never held a principal residence anywhere before. We check your eligibility as part of every purchase file and file the exemption paperwork for you where it applies.
Instructions for a mortgage or line of credit are normally sent to us directly from your bank, credit union, or mortgage broker. Once we receive the mortgage documentation, our team orders the required title searches and gathers the information needed to complete your transaction. We then set up an appointment for you to see one of our lawyers before your funding date, review the terms with you, and answer any questions before you sign.
Upon registration of the new mortgage at the Land Title Office and receipt of funds from your lender, we discharge any existing charges against the title and release any remaining balance to you by trust cheque. If you are switching lenders rather than staying with your current one, your file also needs a discharge of the old mortgage, which we coordinate directly with your previous lender so nothing falls through the gap between the two.
After we receive your instructions on a title transfer, we gather what is needed to complete the file, including authorization and approval from any mortgage holders on title. Family transfers, such as between parents and children or between spouses, can qualify for an exemption from property transfer tax if the property has been the related person’s principal residence for the required period beforehand. We assess whether your transfer qualifies and file the exemption paperwork if it does. Once your file is ready, we set up a signing appointment to review and complete your documentation.
Want to handle your sale or purchase privately, without a realtor? Our firm also prepares private contracts for parties who would like to buy or sell on their own terms. A private sale can save you a commission, but the legal side does not get any lighter: the contract of purchase and sale is still a binding legal document, subject clauses still need to be drafted properly to protect your deposit, and the conveyancing itself (title searches, tax certificates, mortgage discharge or registration, and closing) still has to happen the same way it would with a realtor involved. We draft the contract, advise you on the clauses that matter most, and carry the file through to completion so your private deal closes with the same protection as a realtor-assisted one.
Legal fees depend on the type of transaction (purchase, sale, or refinance), whether a mortgage is involved, and how complex the file is. We give you a clear quote before you commit, and it always covers our fee separately from third-party disbursements like land title registration and tax certificates, so you know exactly what you are paying for.
Conveyancing is the legal work behind any real estate transfer, title searches, document preparation, and registration, and it happens whether or not a realtor is involved. A private contract sale simply means you and the other party negotiated and signed the contract of purchase and sale yourselves instead of through realtors. Either way, you still need a lawyer to complete the conveyancing.
Most files take three to eight weeks from the date subjects are removed to completion day, with four to six weeks being typical. Your exact timeline depends on your lender, your mortgage type, and how quickly documents come together.
Yes. Your new lender will not release funds until the mortgage is properly registered on title and any existing mortgage is discharged. We handle both sides of that process so your refinance funds on schedule.
Possibly. Transfers between close family, such as parents, children, or spouses, may qualify for an exemption if the property was the related person’s principal residence for the required period. We check eligibility and file the exemption for you as part of the transfer.
Funds are exchanged between the lawyers, your title is registered at the Land Title Office, and any existing mortgage is discharged. Possession, when you actually get the keys, typically follows one to three days later.
No. Like all real estate lawyers in BC, we can only act for one side of a transaction to avoid a conflict of interest. If you are on the other side of a deal where we already act for the other party, we can refer you to a colleague so your interests are still looked after.
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