Michael Warsh | Nanaimo Divorce & Family Lawyer

Michael was a stockbroker on Toronto’s Bay Street, working for the firms B.M. Young & Partners and Walyn, Stodgell, Cochrane & Murray (now C.I.B.C. World Markets). He moved to Vancouver in 1993 to take up a position as a Comparative Law Consultant for the Vancouver Stock Exchange and Securities Regulation (Matkin) Commission. Michael articled in a boutique securities firm in Vancouver before relocating to Nanaimo and setting up a practice in family law in 1994. Michael is an avid distance runner, paddleboarder, skier and cyclist, and enjoys these sports with his family.

LEGAL OUTREACH Michael is an active member of the Canadian Bar Association. He chaired Law Day, an annual public event showcasing the justice system to the community, for 13 years, initially in Vancouver and then in Nanaimo. Michael has also been involved in the Dial-A-Lawyer program, the Lawyer Referral Service, and served on the Awards and Recognition Committee.

Michael is presently serving on a number of Law Society of British Columbia committees including Conduct Review Sub-Committee being on the list of counsel assisting in the complaint & discipline process, and helping lawyers who face regulation and professional conduct investigations.

Michael is actively involved in lawyer training such as: in the British Columbia Law Society’s Professional Legal Training Course, he has acted as a volunteer judge in the Moot Court for both chambers applications and trials; and in the Continuing Legal Education Department, he has prepared course materials for, and participated in, a panel on jurisdiction.

Michael was a guest lecturer in the Vancouver Island University Child and Youth Care Programme, where he participated as a Cross-Examiner in moot court to expose prospective social workers to the experience of giving evidence in trial in child sexual abuse cases. Michael has also lectured on family law at the VIU History department and the Men’s Resource Centre. Michael also served for 3 years on the VIU Committee for Ethical Review & Research Involving Human Subjects.

Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire

Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference.
Boudreau v Foster BCSC, 2019.

How did you build a successful practice?
Built a successful practise with hard work

What should clients look for in a lawyer?
Integrity, a hard worker and a commitment to excellence.

How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases?
Local knowledge is important on some cases usually ones that have local counsel and will be heard in a local court.

What information can you provide in a free phone consultation?
I can provide direction with respect to the area of law, and a brief summary of the law facts permitting.

What information do you need in a free phone consultation?
I practise in the areas of family, wills, estates, and estate litigation and have a Masters of Law from Duke University in corporate and securities law.

What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community?
The lawyers at Warsh Law have attended law schools across Canada and the US giving them a national and unique perspective on issues.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Helping people deal with their problems in the most thorough, efficient, and cost-effective way possible.

What are your other interests in addition to law?
I am a long-distance runner, biker, skier and love going to hockey games and the symphony. I am involved in showing my Irish Terrier, Ori - who is very close to becoming a National Champion!

Are you involved in your community?
I am a proud supporter of The Junior A Hockey Club – the Nanaimo Clippers - which is our local hockey club, was on the board of directors for the Vancouver Symphony for many years and have been acting as Moot court judge for trials and chambers applications for the Law Society of British Columbia for many years. I have also been the chair of the Law Day Committee in both Nanaimo and Vancouver, and been an active member on the Judicial Advisory Committee to the Judicial Counsel.

• Member | Law Society of British Columbia
  Member | Canadian Bar Association (B.C. Branch)
  Member | Trial Lawyers Association of B.C.
  Member | Nanaimo County Bar Association
  Member | Nanaimo City Bar Association

• Warsh Law regularly sponsors a number of community, educational, cultural, and sports activities. Warsh Law is presently a corporate sponsor for the Junior A Nanaimo Clippers Hockey Team.
  
  Michael is also the sponsor of the prestigious Vancouver Island University Graduate Research Prize (Warsh Prize), an annual award for exceptional students planning to pursue graduate studies.

• Michael has written articles on custody and access issues and matrimonial agreements which were published in the National Post and The Lawyers Weekly and was interviewed on CBC Radio concerning a unique custody case concerning exclusive occupancy of a matrimonial home
  
  Michael also published a scholarly article in the Canadian Review of American Studies regarding consent to medical treatment, including end-of-life issues.                  
  
  Case Comment: Kristmanson v. Kristmanson- child support for adult children with disabilities.  

• Michael Warsh