Posted February 7, 2020 by LAWPRO

The legal industry has long been risk averse, but when it comes to adapting to the experience-driven world created by companies like Netflix, Uber, and Airbnb, adherence to the old status quo could be the death knell for today’s law firms. In The Client-Centered Law Firm, legal technology expert Jack Newton offers a clear-eyed and… Read More »

Posted February 3, 2020 by Shawn Erker

Estate lawyers will sometimes be called upon by a client to act as executor or trustee as part of their Professional Services. Depending on the complexity of the estate or trust, these appointments can last for years and involve a substantial time investment. As with other aspects of a legal practice, alleged errors in the… Read More »

Posted January 15, 2020 by Tim Lemieux

[First posted May 2019. Updated January 2020] Several lawyers have notified us of a new variation on the old bad cheque debt collection scam. This scenario involves a dog bite, and the promise of an insurer to pay a settlement for medical expenses. It even comes with gruesome dog bite photos that were apparently taken… Read More »

Posted January 8, 2020 by Debra Rolph

Missing a limitation period is a lawyer’s nightmare. Although most claims are subject to the 2 year limitation period set out in the Limitations Act, 2002, there are over 40 statutes that impose limitation periods in Ontario. LAWPRO has developed several resources to help lawyers navigate Ontario’s limitations periods and notice periods. The Limitations and… Read More »

Posted January 7, 2020 by Tim Lemieux

Law firms are experiencing a wrenching period of upheaval. Economic crises, technology explosions, and a regulatory revolution have spawned a wave of innovative competitors. Newly empowered clients have adopted aggressive buying behaviours and begun dictating the terms of their relationships to law firms. Faced with this unprecedented competitive landscape and an industry-wide drop in demand… Read More »

Posted January 2, 2020 by Juda Strawczynski

On January 1, 2020, the claim limit for Smalls Claims Court increased from $25,000 to $35,000. The move is intended to provide the public with quicker and more affordable Court based dispute resolution for claims up to the new $35,000 limit. The government has also indicated that claims commenced in Superior Court will be able… Read More »

Posted December 10, 2019 by Juda Strawczynski

With housing prices on the rise, more rigorous mortgage rules, and the resulting difficulty for some Ontarians to purchase property, real estate lawyers should be mindful of fraud for shelter. Fraud for shelter differs from traditional real estate frauds. Usually in a real estate fraud, the goal is to fraudulently sell the property or to… Read More »

Posted December 3, 2019 by Nora Rock

While the will itself is the product of the collaboration between lawyer and client, the reporting letter serves a separate purpose: it’s the record of the context. To the extent that the reporting letter documents the process of crafting the will, it can bolster validity, shield the lawyer from malpractice allegation and demonstrate the value… Read More »