Beatrice C. McCutcheon

Bea practices exclusively in the area of family law. She provides legal advice to clients regarding issues arising on the separation of married and common-law spouses including division of family property, parenting, child support and spousal support. Bea also assists clients with the negotiation and drafting of cohabitation or marriage agreements.

In addition, Bea advises both clients and other counsel regarding the division of pensions on marriage breakdown and assists with drafting pension division provisions to be included in separation agreements or court orders.

Bea will work with clients who wish to resolve disputes with their spouse through negotiation. Where that is not an option for her clients, she will use mediation or other dispute resolution methods, as well as litigation when appropriate, to resolve family law disputes.

Bea is a regular presenter and author in the area of family law, particularly drafting agreements. She is also a member of the Editorial Board for the CLEBC’s Family Law Agreements Annotated Precedents.

Professional Memberships

• Member, Law Society of BC, Canadian Bar Association, Victoria Bar Association
• Member, Victoria Collaborative Family Separation Professionals
• Member, Family Law – Victoria Section and Women Lawyers Forum – Vancouver Island, CBA, BC Branch

Professional Activities and Publications

• Co-Author and Co-Presenter, “Agreements Between Spouses with Blended Families,” Estate Planning for Blended Families, Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, 2021
• Pension Division Review Project Committee Member, BC Law Institute, (2019 – 2021)
• Subject Editor, Family Law Agreements, JP Boyd on Family Law, Clicklaw Wikibooks
• Member of the Editorial Board, Family Law Agreements Annotated Precedents, Continuing Legal Education Society of BC
• Guest Lecturer in Family Law, Professional Legal Training Course, 2013 – 2015, 2017
• Co-Author and Co-Presenter, “Excluded Property: A More Predictable Regime?”, 12th Biennial Family Law Conference, Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, 2019
• Co-Author and Co-Presenter, “Drafting Domestic Agreements under the Family Law Act,” Advanced Financial Issues in Family Law, Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, 2016
• Co-Author and Co-Presenter, “What Is This Thing Called Love? Spousal Status Under the Family Law Act and the Wills, Estates And Succession Act,” Pacific Business Law Institute, 2016
• Author and Presenter, “Remarrying and Re-Partnering: Marriage Agreements the Second Time Around,” Pacific Business Law Institute, 2015
• Co-Presenter, “Recent Developments and Complex Issues in Child and Spousal Support,” Osgood Professional Development, 2014
• Author and Presenter, “Knowing Me, Knowing You: Drafting Agreements and Consent Orders that Provide for Review or Variation of Spousal Support”; National Family Law Program, Federation of Law Societies, 2014
• Author and Presenter, “Preparing for Partnership: Reaching Agreements Prior to Cohabitation or Marriage,” Pacific Business Law Institute, 2014
• Co-Author and Co-Presenter, “Marriage and Cohabitation Agreements: Drafting and Setting Aside Agreements under the FLA,” The Family Law Act: Everything You Always Wanted to Know, Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, 2013

Education

• Admitted to Practice, 2003
• LLB, University of Victoria, 2002
• BA, University of British Columbia, 1998