Areas of Practice
Keith practices primarily in the areas of estate litigation and disputes, wills and estate planning, estate administration, and real estate. He has successfully represented many clients in various Estate Disputes including Wills Variation applications, numerous committeeship applications, undue influence and incapacity matters, rectification of will applications and removal of executor applications.
Contact Keith Sabey:
Email: keith.sabey@sabeyrule.ca
Contact Peggy Martin, Assistant to Keith Sabey:
Email: pmartin@sabeyrule.ca
Education and Experience
Keith obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Lethbridge (with distinction) and his law degree from the University of British Columbia. He is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Kelowna Bar Association, the Kelowna Estate Planning Society, and is the current Chair of the Okanagan Wills & Trusts section of the Canadian Bar Association.
Keith has made several presentations on Wills and Estate law, including the surrounding policy considerations at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan. He has also made similar presentations at the Okanagan College and has presented at the Okanagan Wills & Estates section.
Personal Life and Community Involvement
Outside of law, Keith’s interests include camping, hiking, hunting, and recreational training at one of Kelowna’s mixed martial arts gyms. He also takes part in charitable work through his church.
Selected Cases
- Levesque Estate, 2019 BCSC 927
- Cybak v Myhre, 2015 BCSC (unreported) – In this case, Keith successfully represented a disabled woman whose common law spouse of 19 years died suddenly and unexpectedly at only 63 years of age. The Deceased had failed to update his will and as such the terms of his old will left the entirety of his estate to his brother and sister. The brother and sister disputed the existence of the marriage-like relationship, claiming that the relationship was merely one of friendship and landlord/ tenant. Keith commenced an application for Wills Variation and the will was successfully varied from 0% to 75% in favour of the surviving spouse. That award is amongst the more significant variations in British Columbia.
- Re: Minchin Estate (2015) B.C.S.C. (unreported)
- Werbenuk v. Werbenuk Estate, 2010 B.C.S.C. 1678 – – In this case the court varied a father’s Will in favour of Mr. Sabey’s client, a disinherited daughter, and three other disinherited daughters. Keith also successfully obtained an order for costs in favour of his client Werbenuk v. Werbenuk Estate, 2011 B.C.S.C. 229. This case received national media attention, including articles in the National Post and The Globe and Mail.
- Werbenuk v. Werbenuk Estate, 2011 B.C.S.C. 229
