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 PreventionA Toronto lawyer has advised us that he was retained last week on an attempted fraud involving a re-financing on a property on Heaslip Terrace in Scarborough. As the fraudsters are using the names of the real property owners, we are not disclosing the names being used or the address of the property. Early last… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionFraud attempts against lawyers can involve a great deal of counterfeit documentation, starting with the initial client ID (passports, licenses), various agreements, loan documents and bank statements, and ending with the cheque that finally arrives at the lawyer’s office. When we add posts about a fraud to the AvoidAClaim blog, we also provide images of… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionThe Law Society of Upper Canada has just released an updated version of its Guidelines for Law Office Searches. These Guidelines are intended to inform you of best practices and steps that can be taken to protect the solicitor-client privilege of your clients in the event of a search and seizure of your law office…. Read More »
Categories: Announcements, Practice Aids, Law Practice ManagementTitlePLUS has just launched a revamped website at www.titleplus.ca that includes new features and intuitive drop-down menus. There are also some great resources for real estate lawyers and their staff that will help reduce claims exposure, including sample retainer and reporting letters – two important risk management tools. The documents you can use and adapt… Read More »
Categories: Real EstateTitlePLUS’s Ray Leclair has provided prospective condo buyers with a checklist of things they should know about before deciding to purchase. This list was made available to the public in several real estate publications. Status Certificate: This document should be a condition in any agreement to purchase. It includes important information such as monthly expenses,… Read More »
Categories: Real EstateMany email scams are obvious due to poor spelling, bad grammar and/or completely untenable fact circumstances (e.g., multi-million dollar lottery wins or inheritances). However, some of the email-based frauds LAWPRO is seeing are extremely sophisticated and look like completely legitimate legal matters. The more sophisticated frauds have temporarily fooled new and experienced lawyers into working… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionIn Webb v. Birkett, 2011 ABCA 13, the Alberta Court of Appeal held that the defendant solicitor Birkett was negligent in representing the plaintiff Webb in a collaborative family law settlement. The Alberta Court of Appeal held that CFL practitioners must meet the same standard of care required of other family law practitioners — including… Read More »
Categories: Family LawKeeping up with the changes to Facebook Privacy settings is a never-ending task. The large number of settings makes it very confusing. The LifeHacker blog comes to the rescue with The Always Up-to-Date Guide to Managing Your Facebook Privacy. This comprehensive guide runs through the basic privacy settings that determine what you share, next it… Read More »
Categories: TechnologyLand 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.
