Areas of Practice
While Bill continues to practise as a lawyer in the areas of wills and estates, his main work now is as a Mediator and Arbitrator in the areas of family law and estate disputes. He is accredited as a Chartered Mediator with ADRIC (the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Canada) and is on the civil and family rosters of ADRBC and Mediate BC.
Bill is equally comfortable mediating in person or via Zoom and will provide mediation for unrepresented parties as well as with lawyers present. Local “in person” mediations can be accommodated at the offices of Cox Taylor in Victoria. Bill’s style as a mediator is more directive than many mediators which clients and their lawyers find helpful, especially considering Bill’s 38 years of experience as a litigator in the BC Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
Bill is also qualified as a Family Law Arbitrator. Arbitration can be a very efficient and private way of having disputes settled when parties are unable to reach an agreement themselves. An arbitrator makes decisions that are binding on the parties and operate like Court Orders. Sometimes, a combination of mediation and arbitration called “med-arb” is used where the parties try to resolve things by agreement through mediation with any unresolved issues being decided by arbitration. Bill does mediations, med-arbs, and arbitrations as circumstances require and as clients want.
Work History and Education
Bill was called to the Bar in 1984 after serving as law clerk to Mr. Justice McIntyre of the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa. He has spent his entire career at Cox Taylor. Bill has a B.A. in psychology from the University of British Columbia (1976) and his law degree from the University of Victoria (1982).
Bill's volunteer and community involvement is also extensive. Bill is a founding member of the Centaurs Soccer Club, past Chair of the Oak Bay Tea Party Society, past board member of the Belfry Theatre Society, past board member of the Royal and McPherson Theatres Society and past member of the United Way Campaign Cabinet of Greater Victoria. Bill continues to be the volunteer Master of Ceremonies at the Oak Bay Christmas light-up as he has done for the last 20 years. Bill is now also a Director of the Sidney and North Saanich Yacht Club and is Chair of the Bill Drew Memorial Soccerfest of the South Vancouver Island Classics’ Soccer Association.
Contact Details
Phone: 250.388.4457
Barristerbill@coxtaylor.ca