Wills and Estates Basics for Paralegals and Legal Support Staff 2025

Course Chairs
Stacie Ayukawa — Senior Paralegal, Heinrichs Richards LLP, Vancouver
Braeden J. Rahn — Geoffrey W. White Law Corporation & Clark Wilson LLP, Kelowna & Vancouver

About the Course Chairs
Stacie Ayukawa is a senior paralegal and joined Heinrichs Richards LLP in 2025. Throughout her career spanning over 18 years, Stacie has practiced in the areas of family law and wills and Estates.

Stacie has a BA from SFU, where she majored in Humanities. Prior to commencing her Paralegal Diploma at Capilano University, Stacie was employed as a legal assistant and office manager by a sole practitioner who practiced in family law. Stacie thrives on being well-educated and has a commitment to lifelong learning. With respect to her studies, Stacie was awarded multiple awards, scholarships and distinctions for her academic achievements in the Capilano University Department of Legal Studies. Subsequent to initiating her legal career at a family and wills and estates boutique firm, Stacie went on to obtain a professional designation as an MTI (Member, Trust Institute), as an Estates and Trusts professional. Finally, Stacie pursued and achieved an MA from SFU, from the Department of Graduate Liberal Studies, where she was also recognized with scholarships and a graduate fellowship.

Braeden Rahn is a lawyer at Geoffrey W. White Law Corporation in Kelowna, BC and Clark Wilson LLP in Vancouver, BC. His primary focus is on trust law, estate administration, and estate litigation. Braeden spent over 15 years practicing in the area of estates and trusts as a paralegal prior to his call to the bar.

Braeden is full (TEP) member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners ("STEP"). He received his Certificate in Estate and Trust Administration from STEP Canada in 2018, and STEP Diploma in 2020. Braeden is the chair of STEP Canada's Okanagan Chapter and is a former Director of the Kelowna Estate Planning Society. Braeden is also a member of the CBA, the Trial Lawyers Association of BC, and is a regular contributor and presenter for CLEBC, including as co-author of the chapters on applications for probate and administration in the CLEBC Probate & Estate Administration Practice Manual. Braeden has also been a guest lecturer for Okanagan College's paralegal program on the topic of estate and trust law.

Braeden received his Paralegal Diploma, with honours, from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in 2008, his Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) degree, with distinction, from Okanagan College in 2020, and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Victoria in 2024.

Faculty
Baljit Badhan — Entrust Lawyers LLP, Kelowna
Christine Gordon — Deputy District Registrar, Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Sebastian Lipnicki — DuMoulin Boskovich LLP, Vernon
Elyssa Lockhart — MLT Aikins LLP, Vancouver
Rose Shawlee — Boughton Law Corporation, Vancouver
Jessie Sihota — Deputy District Registrar, Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Maria Starko — Boughton Law Corporation, Vancouver

Course Materials Contributors
Kelsey Becker — Paralegal, Entrust Lawyers LLP, Kelowna
Elizabeth Markus — Entrust Lawyers LLP, Kelowna
Maria Starko — Boughton Law Corporation, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios

Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:10)

Mary Kingston — Programs Coordinator, CLEBC, Vancouver
Stacie Ayukawa — Senior Paralegal, Heinrichs Richards LLP, Vancouver
Braeden J. Rahn — Geoffrey W. White Law Corporation & Clark Wilson LLP, Kelowna & Vancouver

Testamentary Capacity/Undue Influence (9:10 – 9:40)

Elyssa Lockhart — MLT Aikins LLP, Vancouver

Drafting Wills (9:40 – 10:30)

Rose Shawlee — Boughton Law Corporation, Vancouver

BREAK (10:30 – 10:45)

Drafting Representation Agreements and Powers of Attorney (10:45 – 11:15)

Elyssa Lockhart — MLT Aikins LLP, Vancouver

Intersection between Real Property and Wills and Estates (11:15 – 12:05)

Sebastian Lipnicki — DuMoulin Boskovich LLP, Vernon

LUNCH (12:05 – 1:00)

Trust Basics (1:00 – 1:30)

Braeden J. Rahn — Geoffrey W. White Law Corporation & Clark Wilson LLP, Kelowna & Vancouver

Registry Perspective (1:30 – 2:15)

Christine Gordon — Deputy District Registrar, Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver
Jessie Sihota — Deputy District Registrar, Supreme Court of BC, Vancouver

BREAK (2:15 – 2:30)

Probate (2:30 – 3:30)

Baljit Badhan — Entrust Lawyers LLP, Kelowna

Drafting P40 Affidavits (3:30 – 4:20)

Braeden J. Rahn — Geoffrey W. White Law Corporation & Clark Wilson LLP, Kelowna & Vancouver

Closing Comments and Questions (4:20 – 4:30)

Stacie Ayukawa — Senior Paralegal, Heinrichs Richards LLP, Vancouver
Braeden J. Rahn — Geoffrey W. White Law Corporation & Clark Wilson LLP, Kelowna & Vancouver