British Columbia Law
Family Law on BC's North Shore — History, the Lions Gate & Legal Rights for North Vancouver Families
The North Shore: Sea to Sky Law's Founding Home
Andrew Liggett founded Sea to Sky Law on the North Shore in 1991 — and northshorelaw.ca remains the firm's North Shore regional home. The firm's roots here give it a deep familiarity with North Shore communities, courts, and the particular character of family law in one of Canada's most scenic and expensive real estate markets.
The North Shore encompasses the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and the District of West Vancouver — three separate municipalities spread across the slopes of the Coast Mountains above Burrard Inlet. Settlement began in earnest after the first Moodyville sawmill opened in 1863 on the shores of what is now North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale.
The North Vancouver Provincial Court at 200 East 23rd Street handles Provincial Court family matters for both North and West Vancouver. BC Supreme Court matters — divorce, property division, and contested parenting applications — proceed to the Vancouver Law Courts at 800 Smithe Street, where Arthur Erickson's iconic glass-roofed galleria has housed many of the province's major Supreme Court proceedings.
The North Shore's physical geography shapes its legal landscape: the mountains, the two bridges (Lions Gate and Second Narrows), and the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Bowen Island create a community with genuine geographic definition — separated from Vancouver in ways most Metro Vancouver municipalities are not.
The North Shore's Family Law Landscape in 2026
North and West Vancouver have some of the highest residential property values in Canada. A detached home in Edgemont Village, Canyon Heights, or Dundarave may be valued at $3M to $5M — making property division the central issue in most separations.
Key family law issues for North Shore families:
- High-value property division: North Shore real estate requires specialist appraisal and careful mortgage analysis; buyout scenarios often involve large sums that may require bridge financing
- High-income earners: The North Shore has a high concentration of executives, tech professionals, and entrepreneurs whose income structure (salary, bonus, LTIP, stock, dividends) requires sophisticated analysis for both support and property division
- Family trusts: Many North Shore families hold assets in family trusts — understanding when trust assets are truly the trustee's family property is a nuanced legal question with significant financial stakes
- Bowen Island and recreational property: Bowen Island, accessible by ferry from Horseshoe Bay, has a small year-round community and many recreational properties — these require specialist appraisal and clear planning for who retains recreational assets at separation
northshorelaw.ca — Sea to Sky Law's North Shore Home
Thirty-five years after its founding on the North Shore, Sea to Sky Law continues to serve North and West Vancouver families through northshorelaw.ca. Andrew Liggett provides divorce, property division, spousal support, estate planning, and mediation to North Shore clients — by phone or secure video for North Shore clients.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Meetings are by appointment only, by phone or secure video.