About Doris Bonora

Doris Bonora focuses on will planning, estate planning, estate administration, estate litigation and trusts. Her practice involves developing estate plans for her clients that match their families and their needs. Doris takes an active interest in developing the right estate plan for each person, including incorporating companies and reorganization of companies. She also drafts Enduring Power of Attorney and Personal Directives to deal with incapacity or illness. Doris is also involved in estates on the death of a person. Her practice involves applying for the grant of probate, and advising the executor on all aspect of estate administration.

Additionally, Doris is the Canadian representative of Dentons’ Family Office and High Net Worth Sector (DFO), offering legal services to ultra high net worth individuals, families, and family offices spanning numerous practices and jurisdictions, and advises affluent Canadian Families with succession planning. Doris provides a broad range of advice to assist these individuals and their families in their for-profit and not-for-profit activities across the globe.

Doris has been appointed to the Alberta Human Rights Commission – a quasi judicial tribunal which hears and determines cases on human rights abuses.

Doris also practices in the area of estate litigation. She has been involved in estate litigation involving farms, support claims for spouses, support claims for dependent children; challenges to capacity to make a will and all litigation involving estate administration issues. Doris has also been involved in the litigation involving financial elder abuse and abuse under enduring powers of attorney. She takes a particular interest in attempting to settle disputes so that families are not torn apart in litigation. Thus, Doris is often involved in mediation of disputes in trying to keep families out of court. She tries to achieve the balance between a passionate advocate and a measured approach to achieve results.

Typical Clients

Doris’ practice has had her represent individuals, multimillion dollar trusts, First Nation trusts and Metis Settlements. She has helped many people from many different cultures and orientations to achieve their estate planning goals. Doris has a particular interest in working with the elderly and has worked with SAGE in the area of Elder Abuse and with the Alzheimer Society to provide estate planning advice that is focused on a family member suffering from the devastating effects of dementia related disorders. Doris also has a particular interest in estate planning for families who have a disabled child.

Finally, Doris has acted for clients who need to make application for an appointment for guardians and trustees. She has been in practice for over 30 years and gives advice and counsel to individuals, professionals, corporations, trusts, trust companies, banks and financial planners. Doris has appeared at all levels of the court in Alberta to litigate various estate issues.

Doris has been actively involved in advising First Nations trusts including litigation for the amendment of trusts, accounting of trust accounts and dealing with trustees who are acting inappropriately.