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 »

Posted November 13, 2019 by LAWPRO

To accompany the blog post originally posted on September 16, entitled Upcoming Changes to the Construction Act , we are pleased to share a detailed flowchart to help you determine which Act applies to your construction law matter. Generally, the old Act will apply where a contract for the improvement was entered into before July… Read More »

Posted November 11, 2019 by Juda Strawczynski

Significant changes to the Superior Court Simplified Procedure come into effect on January 1, 2020. Budget Bill 2019 amended section 108 of the Courts of Justice Act to eliminate trials by jury under the Simplified Procedure. Regulatory changes filed October 23, 2019 unveiled significant further changes to the Simplified Procedure as prescribed by Rule 76… Read More »

Posted October 23, 2019 by Juda Strawczynski

Today the Ontario government announced that on January 1, 2020, the claim limit for Smalls Claims Court will increase 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… Read More »

Posted October 1, 2019 by Raymond G. Leclair

This is a reminder that registration fees in the land registration systems increase each November. Bulletin 2019-02 confirms the new registration fees as of November 4, 2019.  As an example, the new cost to register an instrument will be $77.31. Please adjust your practices accordingly.

Posted September 16, 2019 by LAWPRO

In the year since its enactment, Ontario’s new Construction Act has already made a noted impact on the practice of construction law in the province. The amendments to the previous Construction Lien Act (“CLA”) were to be implemented in two phases: Phase 1, the modernization provisions, effective July 1, 2018; and Phase 2, prompt payment… Read More »

Posted August 30, 2019 by LAWPRO

Small steps can lead to big changes. For lawyers who want to improve their career, Building a Better Law Practice: Become a Better Lawyer in Five Minutes a Day is full of these small steps. A few minutes a day with this easy-to-read guide will help put you on the right path to growing your… Read More »

Posted August 13, 2019 by Raymond G. Leclair

LAWPRO is seeing claims against purchasers’ lawyers pertaining to transactions where the seller was a non-resident and there was no s.116 clearance certificate provided on closing. It appears that the Canada Revenue Agency is being more diligent in enforcing the collection of the withholding amount on closing. A recent case (Kau v. The Queen, 2018… Read More »