FHP Lawyers Law Talk Podcast

Fewer homes are being built in the Okanagan, costs keep climbing, and many residential construction projects still start on inadequate contracts or a simple handshake. In this episode of FH&P Lawyers’ Law Talk, Partner Clay Williams sits down with Cassidy deVeer, Executive Officer of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association Central Okanagan, to talk about the challenges facing home builders and what proposed prompt payment legislation could mean for builders, renovators, and homeowners.Clay and Cassidy discuss:• Why fewer single family homes are being built in Kelowna right now• Why some projects can’t move forward even if the land was free• How government fees, charges, and taxes make up about 30% of the cost of a home• How mortgage laws and stress tests are creating barriers for first-time home buyers• Why the residential world still lacks a standard construction contract• What inadequate contracts leave out, from scope to dispute resolution to lien holdbacks• Why homeowners should have their construction contract reviewed by FH&P Lawyers• Why a builders lien has to be enforced in Supreme Court, not small claims court• What prompt payment legislation is and how it could change residential construction• How prompt payment could remove your ability to negotiate your own payment timeline• How small, unnecessary liens can disrupt financing and property salesIf you’re building, renovating, or dealing with a payment dispute or lien, this conversation is a practical starting point, and a reminder to get legal advice before a project begins. Book a Consultation with FH&P Lawyers.This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.FH&P Lawyers | Rooted in Community. Ready to Help.#ConstructionLaw #BuildersLien #PromptPayment #OkanaganHomeBuilders #FHPLawyers #LawTalkPodcast #OkanaganLawyers #KelownaLawyers

Wildfires have become an almost yearly reality in the Okanagan, and most homeowners don't think about their insurance policy until smoke is already on the horizon. In this episode of FH&P Lawyers' Law Talk, Partner Clay Williams sits down with fellow Partner Darren Kautz to talk about how wildfires affect home insurance, from roof damage to filing deadlines.Clay and Darren discuss:• Why you can't get a new policy, switch providers, or even renew once a wildfire has started• How fire retardant drops can cause more roof and siding damage than the fire itself• Why your foundation can crack even if your home never burns• Whether BC is headed for a California-style insurance crisis• Why premiums are climbing while coverage is quietly shrinking• What additional living expenses actually cover when you're evacuated• What under insurance means and why assessed value isn't rebuild value• How insurers are restricting coverage by postal code• Why summer is the worst time to renew your policy• What is guaranteed replacement cost, and why to get it in writing• How photographing and cataloguing your belongings can prevent disputes• What a free FireSmart BC assessment can do for your coverage• Why your roofing material affects your fire risk• Why BC's two-year limitation period is the biggest mistake homeowners make.If you have questions about your home insurance policy or a dispute with your insurer, this conversation is a practical starting point, and where to get legal advice early. Discuss your situation with FH&P Lawyers: https://www.fhplawyers.com/contact.htmlThis content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.FH&P Lawyers | Rooted in Community. Ready to Help.#InsuranceLaw #WildfireInsurance #OkanaganWildfires #HomeInsurance #FHPLawyers #LawTalkPodcast #OkanaganLawyers #KelownaLawyers

Crossing into the US isn't always as simple as showing your passport, especially with a criminal record or a job waiting south of the border. In this episode of FH&P Lawyers' Law Talk, Partner Clay Williams sits down with lawyer Kevin Cheung, called to the bar in both New York and British Columbia, to talk about US entry waivers, criminal record concerns, and cross-border work.Clay and Kevin discuss:What a US entry waiver is and who needs oneWhich crimes actually require a waiverWhat goes into a waiver application, and how long it takesHow long a waiver lasts before it needs renewalWhy the border has full discretion over waiver approvalsHow old convictions, including decades-old marijuana charges, still countWhy a Canadian pardon doesn't clear your record at the US borderWhether charges (without a conviction) need to be disclosedWhy it's better to disclose everything up frontWhat's involved in crossing the border to work, from offer letters to entry packagesHow your long-term intentions affect which immigration pathway appliesThe difference between a work visa and a green cardWhat remote workers need to know before doing any work while physically in the USOFFER: Kevin is offering a FREE 15-minute consultation for US immigration inquiries. Book directly through his profile: https://www.fhplawyers.com/people/kelowna-lawyers/kevin-cheung.html (offer valid until September 30, 2026).If you have a criminal record and are planning to travel to or work in the US, this conversation offers a practical starting point, and where to get legal advice early. Book a Consultation with FH&P Lawyers.This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.FH&P Lawyers | Rooted in Community. Ready to Help.#ImmigrationLaw #USImmigration #CrossBorderWork #EntryWaiver #FHPLawyers #LawTalkPodcast #OkanaganLawyers #KelownaLawyers

Selling a business can take years to get right, and the legal work often starts long before anything is signed. What should you do to prepare? When should a lawyer get involved? And what actually happens between the letter of intent and closing? In this episode of FH&P Lawyers' Law Talk, Partner Clay Williams sits down with lawyer Dustin Merritt to talk about preparing a business for sale, letters of intent, due diligence, purchase agreements, and what happens when the deal finally closes.Clay and Dustin discuss:• How to prepare a business for sale• Why removing yourself from day-to-day operations increases value• When to bring in accountants and business brokers• Whether a formal business valuation is necessary• When a lawyer should get involved in a sale• What a letter of intent is and why it matters, even though it is non-binding• Why exclusivity periods need limits• Share sales versus asset sales• How due diligence and financing come together• What representations, warranties, and holdbacks protect against• Why non-competition agreements hold up in a business sale• What to consider with employees during a transition• Who tends to make the best buyer: employees, competitors, or outsidersIf you are thinking about buying or selling a business, this conversation offers a practical look at what to expect and where to get legal advice early. Book a Consultation with FH&P Lawyers.This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.FH&P Lawyers | Rooted in Community. Ready to Help.#BusinessLaw #BuyingABusiness #SellingABusiness #BusinessTransactions #CorporateLaw #FHPLawyers #LawTalkPodcast #OkanaganLawyers #KelownaLawyers #PentictonLawyers

In this episode of FH&P Lawyers' Law Talk, Partner Clay Williams sits down with lawyer David Horvath to discuss the Supreme Court of Canada's landmark decision recognizing a brand new civil cause of action: the tort of intimate partner violence. Clay and David discuss: • What the Supreme Court of Canada actually ruled• What a tort is, and why this one is new• The three-part legal test that the court established• What coercive, controlling conduct looks like in practice• Why an unhappy marriage is not the same as intimate partner violence under this test• What types of damages are available, and how they were applied in this case• How this tort interacts with spousal support and family law claims• Whether this ruling could open the floodgates of litigation•What the dissenting justices argued, and why it matters• Whether courts could recognize similar torts in other family relationships in the future.If you have experienced coercive control, financial abuse, or psychological manipulation in a relationship, this conversation is worth watching. The law has changed, and your options may have too.Book a consultation with FH&P Lawyers: https://www.fhplawyers.com/contact.htmlThis content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.FH&P Lawyers | Rooted in Community. Ready to Help.#IntimatePartnerViolence #FamilyLaw #SupremeCourtCanada #CoerciveControl #CivilLaw #FHPLawyers #LawTalkPodcast #OkanaganLawyers #KelownaLawyers #BCLaw #CanadianLaw