Jessica enjoys a practice focused on Estates and Trust planning.

Jessica joined Sealy Cornish Coulthard in 2015, happy to return to private practice in Downtown Dartmouth.  Jessica has been a proud Dartmouth resident since 2001, the same year she was called to the Bar.

Although born in Halifax, Jessica lived in Ottawa, Calgary, Australia, the United States, Nigeria, and Austria before moving back in 1997, when she enrolled at Dalhousie Law School.  In the intervening years, her travel exposes her to many other countries, cultures and ways of life. This has helped her relate to her clients – and confirmed that every family has their own unique story.

Before arriving at Sealy Cornish Coulthard, Jessica worked both in a small and large law firm environment. She spent nearly seven years working as a Senior Will & Estate Planner with Scotia Private Client Group in Halifax, assisting clients throughout the Atlantic provinces.

Jessica’s success in estate planning is due to her ability to quickly develop a rapport with her clients, and to deliver in-depth advice to assist clients in the simplest to the most complex of estate plans. Jessica has extensive experience in the creation of plans that may include trusts for individuals as well as estates, discussion of general tax implications, and canvassing of potential elder law issues and issues relating to the guardianship of minors and beneficiaries with disabilities, including incapacity.

She is a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, the Canadian Bar Association, the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners, the Halifax Estate Planning Council, and the Canadian Tax Foundation. She is ranked in Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory.  Jessica is a Past President of the CBA-Nova Scotia Branch and a former member of the CBA Board of Directors.  She is a Past President of the Halifax Estate Planning Council.

Jessica is a frequent speaker on estate planning topics. She has presented numerous times to varied audiences: financial advisors and their clients; Canadian Bar Association – NS Branch legal conferences; the 2014 National Conference of the Canadian Institute of Financial Planners; the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners – Atlantic Branch; and the Halifax Estate Planning Council. Jessica is a repeat guest on CBC Maritime Noon (particularly for the call-in portion of the radio show) on estate planning topics. She has been interviewed for TV news stories on estate planning issues.

When Jessica’s busy family and practice give her a moment to relax, she enjoys reading, walking her dog, and watching movies, preferably on the big screen-but nothing with zombies, lawyers or any combination of the two!