Kayla Thompson is an partner within our Estates Solutions practice group, designated as a TEP - Trust and Estate Practitioner. She is highly focused in this area and provides legal services with all levels of complexity within estate planning and administration, as well as trust work. Kayla has helped plan estates for individuals, families and people planning for retirement or who have already retired. Plus, she has guided owner-managers who require an orderly transition of the family business. Whether individuals with minimal assets or families with successful businesses worth tens of millions, Kayla Thompson provides dependable, responsive, calm, and timely counsel.

Kayla treats clients in a careful and caring manner when they are going through a difficult time. She goes beyond offering strictly legal services and advises clear and easy to understand pathways through each process of creating wills, powers of attorney, personal directives, family trusts and succession-focused corporate re-organizations. Kayla guides families through the loss of a loved one and assists with obtaining grants of probate when there is a will or grants of administration when there is no will. She helps clients deal with estate administration matters such as handling creditors, selling estate assets, winding up companies, and making timely distributions to beneficiaries. Kayla can further help families plan for the care of disabled loved ones by using disability trusts to protect social assistance and assured income payments, as well as address adult guardianship and trusteeship matters in court.

In Kayla's Own Words:

"I like to say that my primary job is not to practice law, but to guide and coach my clients when fear or grief is stopping them from taking much needed next steps on their own. As an estate lawyer, I help families plan for the worst, by preparing them to transfer their wealth to the next generation and to make sure that their loved ones are taken care of. I also take the pain and stress out of administering a loved one’s estate, leaving clients to focus on what really matters. I enjoy getting all the details, both personal and legal, of any matter that I am working on in order to better guide my clients and identify issues. I am a meticulous planner, and relish seeing a plan come together successfully once the big picture becomes clear. My colleagues tell me that I am caring and empathetic but that I balance this with a very clear and efficient communication style. I strive to care for my clients and to be the advisor that they can depend upon."

Kayla Thompson was called to the Alberta Bar in August 2018. Prior to joining Duncan Craig LLP, she received her Juris Doctor (with Distinction) from the University of Alberta in 2017. She has acted as a writing fellow to teach legal research and writing to first year law students, served as co-chair of the Women's Law Forum, and volunteered with Student Legal Services. Currently, Kayla teaches Wills and Administration at the University of Alberta Law School.

Kayla’s prior career in accounting is a key compliment to her Estate Solutions practice. She received her Bachelor of Commerce (with Distinction) in 2010 from the University of Alberta and Chartered Accountant designation in 2013. She focused on audit and assurance services to entities of all sizes and complexities while working at an international accounting firm and led financial reporting for a publicly listed oil and gas company.

Kayla enjoys spending her spare time in the Canadian Rockies with her spouse hiking and rock climbing, skiing, and down-hill mountain biking. Kayla has given back to our community by being a member of the Law Society of Alberta's Finance and Audit Committee, and previously on the board of Caregivers Alberta as treasurer and currently remains involved with the organization lending a hand wherever is needed.