Theresa Stowe was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 1986. She has appeared as counsel at all levels of the courts in British Columbia. Over the past 20 years she has specialized in family law.  As a senior family lawyer she has practised as counsel almost exclusively in the Supreme Court and has also appeared before the Court of Appeal. Cases in which Ms. Stowe has acted as counsel have involved the more challenging aspects of family law, including the imputation of income under the Federal and British Columbia Child Support Guidelines, the valuation of corporate and trust assets, reapportionment of family assets, and the application of the principles of unjust enrichment in common law cases. Her family practice is also consistently engaged in the negotiation and drafting of marriage and cohabitation agreements. Ms. Stowe also has extensive experience in civil litigation cases, involving victims of child abuse.

Education and Bar Admission

• BA, Political Science:  Simon Fraser University, 1982
• L.L.B: University of British Columbia, 1985
• Called to the Bar of British Columbia, 1986

Professional Experience

Ms. Stowe was counsel in what has been described as the “leading case” on the issue of custody and access reports. She wrote the 2007 update to the chapter "Alternatives to Trial" in the British Columbia Family Practice Manual, and in 2006 edited the chapter on Trials in the Family Law Source Book, a text widely used by family law practitioners in British Columbia. She also acted as counsel in two test cases before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, which addressed complex limitation period issues.  She was co-counsel in the first case in which a Canadian court held that the limitation period for adult survivors of sexual abuse should be extended.

As a former member of the Legal Committee of West Coast LEAF, Ms. Stowe reviewed family, human rights, civil and criminal cases involving equality rights issues to determine whether LEAF would apply to intervene in at the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada. She was a member of a LEAF National sub-committee, which sought leave to intervene in a Supreme Court of Canada case addressing the issue of retroactive child support.

Professional Activities

• Presentation on trial preparation, scheduled for March 8th, 2008, at the Continuing Legal Education seminar "Family Boot Camp Level 1"
• Updated Chapter 12 of the Family Practice Manual on conducting trials, 2007 and 2008
• Guest lecturer at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law on domestic violence in family law cases, 2007
• Member of West Coast LEAF Legal Committee, 2005
• Instructor at the Family Law “Boot Camp”, Continuing Legal Education, “Preparation for Trial” and “Trials in Family Cases”, 2005
• Principles of Family Property Law, Women Against Violence Against Women (WAVA), 2005
• Member of a Committee of academic and lawyers regarding the issue of faith-based arbitration and equality rights in family law in Canada, 2005
• Women Lawyers Mentoring Program, BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2004
• Member of West Coast LEAF Legal Committee, 2004
• Panel participant at the Family Law Subsection, BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association on the relationship of the Standards of the College of Psychologists and the preparation of Custody and Access Reports, 2004
• Panel Chair, Biennial Family Law Conference of British Columbia, Continuing Legal Education, 2003
• Custody and Access Reports, Family Law Subsection, BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2003
• Professional Legal Training Course, Law Society of British Columbia, volunteer instructor for mock trial session, 2003
• Elected member of the Provincial Council of the BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2003 – 2005
• Professional Legal Training Course, Law Society of British Columbia, volunteer instructor of family law section, 2000 Business and the Practice of Law, Continuing Legal Education, 1999
• Board of Directors of West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund, 1998 – 2003
• Chair of the Legal Committee of West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund, 1998 – 2002
• Presentation “Unjust Enrichment”, presented at Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia seminar, 1997
• Presentation “Civil Suits for Sexual Assault”, British Columbia Insurance Institute seminar, 1997
• Presentation “Profitable Family Law Practice”, Continuing Legal Education seminar, 1997
• Presentation “Civil Remedies for Childhood Sexual Assault”, Mental Health Professionals, Justice Institute of British Columbia seminar, 1994
• Presentation “Beyond the Statute of Limitations: Suing for Sexual Assault”, Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia seminar, 1993
• Presentation “Managing the Plaintiff’s Case in Historical Abuse Cases”, Trial Lawyers Association of Saskatchewan seminar, 1993
• Presentation “Civil Suits for Sexual Assault”, Association of Specialized Victim Assistance Programs of British Columbia seminar, 1993
• Law Society appointment to the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Society, 1993 – 1994
• Instructor, Advanced Family Law, Canadian Labour Congress, Winter School, 1993 – 2006

Professional Memberships

• Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia, 1990 – 2006
• Canadian Bar Association, 1986 – 2006
• West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund, 1995 – 2006

Personal

When Ms. Stowe is not practising law, she may be found roaming the streets of New York City, eating tapas in Barcelona or digging in her garden.