Get in touch

P: (604) 685-8877

Carol W. Hickman K.C.

Principal

CONTACT

CWHickman@virginlawgroup.com

ASSISTANT

Brianna Bavaro

(236) 521-4966

bbavaro@virginlawgroup.com

EDUCATION

B.A. (Political Science): University of Saskatchewan (1984)

LL.B.-University of Saskatchewan (1987)

Advanced Mediation Training: 2001

Collaborative Law Training: 2001

BAR ADMISSIONS

Called to the Bar: British Columbia (1988)

AREA OF PRACTICE

Family Law

Carol’s expertise is in complex family law, including property division, maintenance, and custody and access disputes. She is also a law mediator.

A member of the Law Society of British Columbia and a Bencher since 2004, Carol today chairs the Family Law Task Force and the Unbundling Task Force for the Law Society of B.C.

She is a pioneering member of the Collaborative Family Law Group, serving the Lower Mainland, and has been an instructor for Continuing Legal Education. Carol also co-wrote the 2005 Family Law Deskbook.

With an understanding of the stress that families endure during separation and divorce, Carol thrives in assisting all parties with finding the most favourable solution available.

She is actively involved in fundraising for breast cancer research, including annual participation since 2004 in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer, as well as the Run for the Cure and the Vancouver Sun Run.

Carol obtained her law degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1987 and has practised law in the New Westminster area for over twenty years. She has been highly successful at all levels of court, including the British Columbia Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Carol was appointed Queens Counsel in 2011.

Law Society: Bencher (2004-present); Executive Committee (2009 and 2010); Chairperson, Family Law Task Force (2006 – present); Chairperson, Unbundling Legal Services Task Force (2005-2010); Chair and Member of Credentials Committee (chair in 2010 and member since 2004); vice-chair, Access to Justice Task Force, member, Unauthorized Practice Committee (2005)
Government Advisory Groups: Member of the Family Law Advisory Group on the proposed changes to the Family Relations Act (White Paper on the Family Law Act)
CBA: Member of the CBA Family Law Bench and Bar Committee (2010 – present); Member, New Westminster Courthouse Bench and Bar Committee (2005 – present); Member, New Westminster Family Law Sub-Committee on BC Justice Review (2005), member, New Westminster Family Law Sub-Committee on Unified Family Court (2002), co-chair, New Westminster Family Law Section (2001-02), program coordinator, New Westminster Family Law Section (1990-present)
CLE chair and author of Family Sourcebook (2005), Member
Westminster Criminal Law Association (2005), Co-chair
Collaborative Family Law Group serving the Lower Mainland (2002-2003), Member
Collaborative Family Law Group serving the Lower Mainland (2002-present), Member
Vancouver Collaborative Law Group (2001-present)
Family Law for Legal Support Staff (2003), CLE instructor and chair
Family Law Conference (2001, 2003, 2009 and 2011), CLE instructor
Provincial Court Judges Conferences (1999 and 2002), Speaker
Legal Aid Tariff Committee, Past Member

Bencher, Law Society of British Columbia (Since 2004)
Chairperson, Family Law Task Force and the Unbundling Legal Services Task Force of the Law Society of British Columbia
Vice-chairperson, Unauthorized Practice Committee of the Law Society of British Columbia (2008)
Member (since 2004), Vice-Chairperson (2009), Committee Chair (2010), Credentials Committee of the Law Society of British Columbia
Former Chairperson (2001-2002) & Program coordinator (1999 – 2001) of the New Westminster Family Law Subsection
Member, Westminster Family Subsection Report on BC Justice Review Task Force
Chair and Member of the Collaborative Family Law Group serving the Lower Mainland
Member of the Vancouver Collaborative Law Group
Member of the New Westminster Family Law Subsection
Member of the Canadian Bar Association