There are multiple scenarios whereby fraudsters will attempt to have you wire funds to a different account than the one that you had intended to fund. Unfortunately, some of those attempts are successful. LAWPRO has received such claims and heard of many others. Here are some tips to assist you if such a fraud happens… Read More »
Categories: Fraud Prevention
On December 14, 2023, Ontario Regulation 388/23 was filed to amend the court rules and forms for estate court proceedings in the Superior Court of Justice. The regulation will come into force on April 1, 2024. The amended forms are available on the Court Services Division Court Forms website. Notices of the regulation and summaries… Read More »
Categories: Announcements
As of January 1st, 2024, the Law Society of Ontario requires lawyers who only meet with clients virtually to verify their clients’ identity online by authenticating their identification documents, or using an alternate, approved verification method. This ends the emergency virtual-verification measures that permitted verification through simply viewing identification documents online. The virtual authentication of… Read More »
Categories: Fraud Prevention
The second phase of legislative and regulatory changes under the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2020 (TRESA), formerly known as the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 (REBBA), came into effect December 1, 2023. There are several changes including seller approved sharing of non-confidential information in an offer of purchase and sale, disclosure… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate
Beginning December 1, Homewood Health will be updating the myassistplan.com web portal to incorporate the new “Pathfinder” user-interface system. Through a series of simple questions, the anonymous Pathfinder system will quickly guide lawyers to curated lifestyle coaching, counselling, peer-support, and online resources that are directed at the specific needs of each lawyer. Lawyers can book… Read More »
Categories: Wellness and Balance
The Federation’s of Law Societys has launched an online learning program entitled “Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in the Canadian Legal Profession”. The program is free and the Law Society of Ontario has accredited the program for 3 hours and 45 minutes of Professionalism content. From the website: “The practice of law exposes legal professionals… Read More »
Categories: Fraud Prevention, Technology
As of November 6, 2023, the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery is increasing the fees of certain land registration services, which are adjusted annually by an amount equal to 50 per cent of the Consumer Price Index. The most common fee, for the registration or deposit of an instrument or plan in electronic… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate
An Ontario lawyer forwarded us what appears to be a new variation of the old bad cheque scam in which a lawyer is contacted from a client overseas to collect on a debt, divorce settlement or facilitate a large equipment purchase (see our full list of these emails here). In this version the clients claim… Read More »
Categories: Fraud Prevention
Court offices will be closed on Monday, October 2, 2023 in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Filing and issuance deadlines in the Rules of Civil Procedure, Family Law Rules and Rules of the Small Claims Court that fall on October 2, 2023 are extended to October 3, 2023. The Ministry of… Read More »
Categories: AnnouncementsLand Acknowledgement
The offices of LAWPRO are located on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishnabeg, Chippewa, Haudenosaunee and Wendat peoples. Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. LAWPRO respects and acknowledges the histories, languages, knowledge systems, and cultures of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit nations.
