Shoplifting and Scary Letters

New on Clicklaw

“I was caught shoplifting, and now the store has sent me a letter demanding money. Can they do this?”

We’ve posted a common question on Clicklaw about “civil demand letters”. These are letters sent by stores to people who have been caught shoplifting, telling them they have to pay the store money. A CBC report this summer, “Retailers demand shoplifters pay security costs“, drew attention to this practice. Some stores send a letter to shoplifters demanding that they pay money to the store to cover costs relating to theft and fraud, such as paying store security.

Finding Probate Forms Online

New on Clicklaw

“I’m applying for probate; where can I find the forms required?”

One of the most common questions we get at the Courthouse Library is: where can I find the documents needed to apply for probate?

Depending on the type of assets in an estate, the executor of a will may need to apply for probate in order to distribute the estate. The probate procedure includes submitting special forms and the original will to the Probate Registry of the Supreme Court. There are a number of forms and considerable detail involved. Many of the forms have been affected by recent changes to the Supreme Court Civil Rules and Forms.

We’ve posted a new “common question” on Clicklaw called “I’m applying for probate; where can I find the forms required?“.  The answer includes direct links to the forms required for a typical probate application.

For more detail on the documents required, an excellent resource is the BC Probate and Estate Administration Practice Manual, published by the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC. The Manual is available at Courthouse Libraries across BC, as well as in many public libraries in the province.