Areas of Law
Resolutions to avoid real estate claims
I will ensure I meet with my clients in person at least once: In most real estate practices the staff handle many aspects of the client’s matter. However, ultimate responsibility still lies with the supervising lawyer. Take the time to meet with the client in person to review the transaction and understand the client instructions,… Read More »
Categories: Real EstateResolutions to avoid family law claims
I will make better use of checklists and reporting letters: Family law involves complex documents that deal with complicated issues involving emotional clients. There are many risks of errors by the lawyer, and misunderstandings by the client. LAWPRO’s new Domestic Contracts Matter Toolkit has checklists and forms that contain points and questions lawyers should systematically… Read More »
Categories: Family LawAvoiding Communications Claims: Wills & Estates
No matter what the area of practice, the number one source of claims at LAWPRO is a breakdown in communication between the lawyer and client. Between 2008 and 2013, nearly 4,600 communications claims – an average of 762 a year – have been reported to LAWPRO. The total cost of these claims to date is… Read More »
Categories: Communication Errors, Wills & EstatesAvoiding Communications Claims: Family Law
No matter what the area of practice, the number one source of claims at LAWPRO is a breakdown in communication between the lawyer and client. Between 2008 and 2013, nearly 4,600 communications claims – an average of 762 a year – have been reported to LAWPRO. The total cost of these claims to date is… Read More »
Categories: Family Law, Communication ErrorsAvoiding Communications Claims: Corporate Law
No matter what the area of practice, the number one source of claims at LAWPRO is a breakdown in communication between the lawyer and client. Between 2008 and 2013, nearly 4,600 communications claims – an average of 762 a year – have been reported to LAWPRO. The total cost of these claims to date is… Read More »
Categories: Communication Errors, Corporate LawCan a criminal conviction make your client inadmissible for residency/citizenship?
Where a client charged with a serious crime is a non-citizen of Canada and is hoping to obtain resident status, criminal lawyers should be aware that recent changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) raise special plea and sentencing considerations. The Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act On June 19, 2013, amendments to… Read More »
Categories: Criminal LawWhat keeps family lawyers up at night? Managing your stress
Like many areas of practice, family law is going through a period of change. Both clients and their lawyers are questioning traditional modes of practice. Economic woes both cause legal problems, and leave clients with limited resources with which to resolve them. Stress – for both families in crisis and for their lawyers – is… Read More »
Categories: Family LawLAWPRO Tales of Horror: The Phantom Client Returns…Again and Again
Recent LAWPRO claims have driven home to us the importance of formal retainer arrangements and avoiding the spectre of the phantom client. Unfortunately, these issues are not new. In 1991,William S. O’Hara wrote an article for the Law Society of Upper Canada Errors and Omissions Bulletin entitled “Beware of the Phantom Client.” He wrote: Of… Read More »
Categories: Communication Errors, Civil Litigation