New legal time limits coming to BC
Posted April 17, 2012 7:02 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – BC is reducing some of the time limits you have to bring legal action against someone. The adjustments – which have now been introduced in the Legislature – have one lawyer suggesting you seek advice as soon as possible if you feel you might have a civil claim.
“The minute that people suspect they may have a legal claim, they’re probably well advised to seek legal advice, just so that they don’t miss the limitation period,” says civil litigation lawyer Alan Hobkirk with Miller Thomson.
Changes being proposed by the government will soon see a basic limitation period of two years applied to most civil issues. Hobkirk says that’s better than the current situation with several different time limits depending on the complaint.
“It’s a very sad day indeed when people come in weeks, months, often years beyond the expiry of the limitation period. So it’s tighter than it was, especially for claims such as breach of contract or wrongful dismissal,” explains Hobkirk.
He adds those basic limits currently range up to 10 years.
“A lot of people delay it, thinking that they almost have an indefinite period of time, and I think part of that’s created by the confusion with so many different specific limitation periods, which will no longer be the case.”
The legislation also adjusts the ultimate, maximum time limit for litigation after a wrong is committed to 15 years, down from 30 in some cases. Hobkirk says by encouraging people to act more quickly, it should also make gathering evidence easier than trying to track down information years later.
