Kayla Thompson

Kayla Thompson is a partner within our Estates Solutions practice group and a designated Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP). She provides legal services across all levels of complexity within estate planning and administration, as well as trust work. Kayla has helped individuals, families, people planning for retirement, and those already retired. She also guides owner-managers seeking an orderly transition of a family business. Whether assisting clients with modest estates or families with successful businesses, Kayla provides calm, dependable, and responsive counsel.

Kayla supports clients with a caring and thoughtful approach during difficult times. She offers clear, easy-to-follow guidance for wills, powers of attorney, personal directives, family trusts, and succession-focused corporate reorganizations. She assists families following the loss of a loved one, obtaining grants of probate (when there is a will), or grants of administration (when there is not). Kayla manages all aspects of estate administration, including dealing with creditors, selling assets, winding up companies, and ensuring timely distributions to beneficiaries. She also helps families plan for the care of disabled loved ones through disability trusts that protect social assistance and assured-income benefits, and she addresses 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 am a meticulous planner, both personal and legal, of any matter, and relish seeing a plan come together successfully to better guide my clients and identify issues. My colleagues and clients tell me that I am caring and empathetic but that I balance this with a very clear and efficient communication style that they can depend upon."

Kayla was called to the Alberta Bar in 2018 and received her Juris Doctor (with Distinction) from the University of Alberta in 2017. She currently teaches Wills and Administration at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. She is a member of the Law Society of Alberta's Finance and Audit Committee and serves on the board of the Edmonton Branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

Kayla’s prior career in accounting complements her estate practice. She earned her Bachelor of Commerce (with Distinction) in 2010, became a Chartered Accountant in 2013, and worked in audit and assurance at an international accounting firm before leading financial reporting for a publicly listed oil and gas company.