Summerland Firm Offers Elder Law, Real Estate, Will And Estate Expertise
Denese Espeut-Post and Anne-Marie Mizzi of Avery Law Office
SUMMERLAND – There is now an employment law office in Summerland, as Avery Law Office has added new services to the award-winning law firm, which has been providing elder law, real estate, will and estates, and business law since Denese Espeut-Post opened the practice in 2011.
Anne-Marie Mizzi, who joined the company two years ago, assists in all areas of the law office but is specializing in employment law and services.
“Our primary focus in employment law will be on drafting employment contracts, Non-Disclosure Agreements, providing legal advice on issues regarding constructive dismissal and termination,” says Anne-Marie. “We can also help companies with termination letters and issues regarding terminating employees for just cause.”
Such services are increasingly important in a province where labour laws typically favour employees, meaning businesses need to have legal experts involved while dealing with departing staff members to make sure there are no loose ends.
“That is very important now,” she adds. “Companies need to have lawyers involved with drafting contracts and even review older contracts. Especially when it comes to firing employees. They need that initial conversation to determine if they’re abiding by everything they need to in terms of labour law.”
Anne-Marie’s father was a senior Human Resources manager for his entire career, so it’s not surprising that she has decided to focus on this aspect of law. A labour relations course at law school piqued her curiosity, but her father’s influence also encouraged her to pursue employment law, and she passed her bar exam last year.
“We can also help employees understand their rights, so if they have a situation they‘re uncomfortable in, we can talk to them and cover human rights and discrimination issues if necessary,” she says.
Avery Law Office has also carved out a niche in elder law, protecting elderly citizens when it comes to issues like power of attorney, estate planning, and making sure that the rights of care facility residents are protected.
“That is increasingly important, especially with our aging population in the Okanagan,” she states. “We explain their rights to them, so they can feel safe and protected wherever they are.”
Avery Law Office also offers mobile legal services to clients in Princeton, making home visits if necessary.
“We provide services to rural areas that are lacking service and try to assist them, and we are also digital friendly and can conduct Zoom meetings with clients,” Anne-Marie states. “We really look forward to working with new clients.
“I think the key to our success is that we try to be really personable with our clients and answer any communication to our office within the same business day,” she adds. “We are on the ball when it comes to legal issues, and we really do work as a team in our office, which really helps. If Denese or I am not in the office, we have good staff who can step in and deal with any urgent issues.”
Business Examiner Staff