Areas of Practice
Our Focus
Smeets Law represents both plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation. We assist clients with disputes pertaining to: contested wills, contracts, defamation (libel and slander), debt collection, employment, estates, human rights, property, trespass to persons (i.e., assault, battery, and wrongful imprisonment), unfair and deceptive trade practices, and more.
We provide immigration consulting and legal services to persons based not only in Canada but around the world. Our lawyers represent clients on all Canadian immigration and citizenship matters, including arguing on their behalf in admissibility hearings, refugee hearings, sponsorship appeals, and detention hearings, as well as assisting with all types of work visas and sponsorship applications. If another country is attempting to extradite a person from Canada, Smeets Law can assist that individual in fighting the extradition order.
We work tirelessly to ensure that our clients recover all forms of compensation and financial awards to which they are entitled, flowing from their loss or injuries as a result of medical malpractice. Such cases are generally taken on a contingency basis, with our services not costing the client anything until the case is settled or won.
Smeets Law discourages anyone from settling with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) prior to obtaining legal advice. Our lawyers are experienced in examining motor vehicle accident claims and can provide an opinion on the level of compensation each victim should expect on account of their loss and injuries. Such cases are also generally taken on a contingency basis, with our services costing the client nothing until the case is settled or won.
Our lawyers have intimate, intricate knowledge of both the British Columbia Human Rights Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act, having argued on clients’ behalf before both the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission and Tribunal. We have represented clients with a wide variety of human rights related legal matters, including actions and claims resulting from wrongful and constructive dismissals, workplace harassment, sexual discrimination, racial discrimination, and religious discrimination. Smeets Law has also been retained to devise proactive measures and policies intended to assist employers in preventing such claims from arising in the first place.
It is our belief that we are serving the best interests of our family law clients by not only providing the best legal advice but also structuring and navigating the most cost-efficient course of legal action possible. Our lawyers are experienced in assisting clients with: access and visitation issues, adoption, child and spousal support, cohabitation agreements, custody, divorce, marriage contracts, property division, separation agreements, settlement negotiations, and more.
Smeets Law represents clients on employment-related matters, including: disability claims, BC Employment Standards complaints, negotiating employment agreements and severance, occupational health and safety issues, pay equity matters, pension and benefits matters, workers’ compensation matters (including reviews of WorkSafeBC decisions and appeals to the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal), wrongful dismissal, and more. Our lawyers are also experienced in internal labour union disputes, having represented union members in disputes with their union and with fellow union members.
Smeets Law assists businesses that operate across international borders, ranging from domestic companies wanting to import or export goods to assisting foreign-based companies wanting to do business in Canada. We also have extensive experience helping individuals from a large number of countries.
We provide legal advice and legal representation to tenants and landlords in British Columbia. Our lawyers are cognizant of BC Residential Tenancy Act nuances and have appeared before the Residential Tenancy Branch on numerous occasions.
Our lawyers ensure that each criminal litigation client’s privacy is carefully protected and that their rights are vigorously defended. Our skilled advocates are in place throughout the process, assisting clients who have been criminally charged with: assault, conspiracy, Customs Act contraventions, dangerous driving, drug offences, environmental offences, Firearms Act contraventions, Fisheries Act contraventions, fraud and other financial crimes, impaired driving, internet offences, murder, sexual offences, theft, and more.