Erin C. Cowling

 Kimberly (Kim) A. Whaley is one of Canada’s premier litigator/ lawyer in the practice areas of litigation and mediation of estate, trust and capacity proceedings, power of attorney, guardianship matters and elderly law. Kim is the founding partner of the law firm, Whaley Estate Litigation Partners (WEL Partners). Above all else, Kim is a highly regarded teacher/mentor. Long before I met Kim in person, I had heard about a speech she had given that caught my attention. It was on the topic of the fractured family which is quickly becoming the norm – it was at a Law Society of Upper Canada conference. Kim’s presentation spoke directly to the issue of estate litigation in complex, blended and fractured families. She had stated that traditional blood-related families have well aligned interests which is not the case in the fractured family. In fact, she suggests in these families there are no longer a need for personal conflict to set parties against each other. After hearing of this speech and her recommended remedies, I wrote an article referencing Kim and her presentation for my column in LexisNexis’ CPA trade paper - The Bottom Line. I finally met Kim in person when she was the 2013, Chair of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners’ of the Toronto Chapter. However, it was through our involvement in the Estate Planning Council of Toronto that I really began to appreciate Kim’s true professional expertise. What first struck me about Kim is she is very collegial with her peers and is passionate about the area of estate law that she and her firm practice and excel in. When I was a university instructor teaching estate planning, I found reading the books that Kim had either written or co-authored very valuable for future and current trust and estate planning practitioners. Such as her - "Key Developments in Estate and Trust Law in Ontario.” Her chapter in "Passings of Accounts,” and her book - “Capacity to Marry and the Estate Plan.” I have a deep appreciation and admire the time Kim has committed to giving back to both the legal and estate and trust professional communities by teaching the next generation of lawyers at Queen's University and the University of Toronto, as well as Osgoode, and her many contributions to continuing legal educational programs for these professionals across Canada and North America. Kimberly A. Whaley is a committed Trust and Estate Litigation Lawyer that both her colleagues and clients continually benefit from by having her on their team. Everyone that has worked with Kim is a better professional and a satisfied client knowing that she gives 100% of her mentorship and expertise in everything that she has committed herself to.

 I believe in saying thank you – even if it’s to a competitor. In researching the law on a nuanced area in estate litigation I found the answer in one of Kim’s articles. That’s not a surprise. Wel Partners’ is an excellent website for those doing legal research in Wills, Trusts and Estates. Their presentation of issues is clear and the authors’ review of relevant statutes and case law is thorough. I am not the only one who appreciates their analysis. In Furtney Estate v. Furtney the court seems to have adopted Professor Oosterhoff’s reasoning when coming to his decision. In today’s legal world students, lawyers and judges look online to educate themselves on current legal issues. As someone who blogs quite a bit, I appreciate a site that excels.

 Matthew Rendely is one of Toronto’s up and coming estate litigators. He works hard to represent his clients’ best interests and maintains an excellent reputation for himself and WEL Partners.

 The WEL team was so professional, knowledgeable and kind with my intensely personal legal dispute, I so appreciate their help!

 Kim and her team are professional, and have an exceptional knowledge of the law. She is fantastic and backed by an unparalleled team of legal professionals who genuinely care about representing your best interest as a person, not just a “client”.