Kira Domratchev Associate


Speaks:  English, Russian, Hebrew

Year of Call: 2017 - Ontario


Primary office:  Toronto




Kira Domratchev

Kira Domratchev is a litigation lawyer in Gowling WLG’s global Private Client Services Group. She is an accredited Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) as a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Canada.

Using her ability to find common ground with clients and opposing counsel, Kira strives for practical resolutions to litigation disputes through mediation and other alternative means of dispute resolution, where possible. She offers dependable, responsive and consistent help in navigating clients through complex and emotionally taxing litigation disputes.

Based in Toronto, Kira’s practice is focused on contentious estate, trust and capacity matters including:

  • Will challenges
  • Guardianship applications
  • Capacity disputes
  • Power of attorney disputes
  • Dependant support applications
  • Contentious passing of accounts
  • Rectification and interpretation of wills and trusts
  • Variation of trusts applications
  • Appointment and removal of trustees and guardians

Prior to joining Gowling WLG, Kira spent nearly four years practicing estate, trust and capacity litigation at a prominent Toronto boutique firm.

Kira regularly appears before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (including the Estates List and the Commercial List) and the Court of Appeal for Ontario. Further, Kira’s paper entitled “Is an RESP a Trust? …. And So What If It Is?” , 40 E.T.P.J. 257, 2021 was cited favourably by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in L. v. L. 2022, ONSC 4787.

As preferred counsel for LawPRO, Kira regularly acts on matters related to professional negligence with respect to estate and trust issues including the defence of solicitor negligence claims and applications to rectify wills and trusts.

As a member of the Education Committee of the Toronto Lawyers’ Association, Kira routinely organizes and participates as a speaker of various continued legal education seminars. She also sits on the executive committee of the Ontario Bar Association’s Elder Law Section Executive and Trusts and Estates Law Section Executive.

Kira is also a regular volunteer with Pro Bono Ontario Free Legal Advice Hotline providing advice on estate, trust and capacity issues and was included on the Pro Bono Ontario Honour Roll in 2023. As part of the Commercial/Estate List Amicus Program, Kira has also acted as Amicus Curiae to assist the Court in advancing the position of a self-represented party in a fair and efficient manner.

Career & Recognition

Filter timeline:
  • 2023

    • Career
      August 2023
      Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) designation with the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Canada
    • Education
      July 2023
      Osgoode Law School Professional Development Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop (ITAW)
  • 2017

    • Qualifications (Year of Call/Admission, etc.)
       2017
      Year of Call, Ontario
  • 2016

    • Education
      June 2016
      York University - Osgoode Hall Law School, JD
  • 2012

    • Education
      June 2012
      Toronto Metropolitan University - Ted Rogers School of Management, Bachelor of Commerce

Memberships

  • The Advocates’ Society
  • Ontario Bar Association - Member-at-Large of the Elder Law and Trusts and Estates Law Section Executives
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Toronto Lawyers Association – Member of the Education Committee
  • The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners – Full Member

Articles

“Is an RESP a Trust? …. And So What If It Is?” , 40 E.T.P.J. 257, 2021. - cited fabourably by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in L. v. L. 2022, ONSC 4787.

“The Do’s and Don’ts of Leading Opinion Evidence,” Kira Domratchev and Jerome R. Morse, Oatley-McLeash Guide to Personal Injury Practice in Motor Vehicle Cases, June 2017.

Presentations

“Third-Party Elder Fraud,” the Ontario Bar Association Program, June 2023.

“Full and Final Releases: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, the Toronto Lawyers’ Association Program, May 2023.

“Hot Topics in Privacy Law,” the Toronto Lawyers’ Association Program, February 2023.

“Planning for Minors,” the Toronto Lawyers’ Association Program, September 2022.

“Serious Illness Planning,” Toronto Lawyers' Association Program, January 2021.

“Remote Preparation of Witnesses and Clients for Pending Litigation”, Toronto Lawyers' Association, January 2021.

“How to Build a Book of Business as a New Lawyer,” the Toronto Lawyers' Association Program, March 2019.

Representative Work

  • Van Decker Estate v Van Decker, 2022 ONCA 712