When CR Lawyers opened their Ucluelet practice this fall, they wanted to ensure the community had continued access to legal care.
The relocation of the region’s previous lawyer meant locals would have had to drive to Port Alberni for their nearest law office – not ideal for those in need of help with a loved one’s estate, a home purchase or sale, or to create their will, for example.
Because while technology has made many of our day-to-day tasks easier to do virtually, some things are just better in person, with someone who understands your family, needs or community, explains Peter Higgs, lawyer and partner in CR Lawyers.
“At some point in everybody’s life, they’ll need to deal with a legal issue. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I think it matters that people can build that relationship in their community,” Peter notes.
Here in Ucluelet, local resident Craig Stewart is the dedicated lawyer at the full-service firm. Providing legal services for wills and estates, business law, real estate transactions and other services, Craig is joined in the office by Legal Assistant Belinda Mulvey, and is supported by Lyle Carlstrom, who’ll be a regular in town from the firm’s Campbell River office – read more about Lyle here and tune in to hear him on the monthly Law Talk segment on Tuff City Radio.
The partnership means that as a local, Craig is able to work on the west coast, while being supported in the paperwork, bookkeeping and other essentials by the team in Campbell River. “If Craig can be the person who can talk to people and connect with people, and we can support him in that, that’s a win-win for everybody,” Peter says.
Building connections happens outside the office, too.
“The lawyers we have in our firm have a community-focused mindset – we practise law to make a difference where we live,” Peter says. “I think a lot of people look for meaning and to make a difference in people’s lives and the law can allow us to do that. It’s an opportunity to give back.”
Among their recent initiatives, CR Lawyers sponsored the Edge-to-Edge Marathon, for example, and look forward to partnering with other local organizations.
Sharing office space with CPA Rob Anderson, at 1566 Peninsula Rd. in Ucluelet, the doors are open for walk-in visits three days a week for now, but Craig is available five days a week for the community’s legal needs.
Learn more at crlawyers.ca, call 1-866-577-8114 or visit them on Facebook.
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