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
LAWPRO is seeing an increase in claims against lawyers by franchisees and franchisors. These claims tend to involve significant damages which often approach or exceed the available limits under the primary LAWPRO policy. Franchises are governed by the Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000 (the “Act”) which was enacted by the Ontario government to provide… Read More »
Categories: Franchise Law
Lawyers and their clients are more mobile than ever before. With the Internet, easy international travel and a global economy, relationships and business transactions – and legal matters and disputes – frequently cross international borders. Handling matters that involve foreign law can increase the risk that you will face a malpractice claim, and can have… Read More »
Categories: Risk Management Strategies, LAWPRO Errors and Omissions Coverage
Some solicitors may think that the responsibility for maintaining appropriate solicitor/client communications lies solely with them. It is true that solicitors who fail to adequately communicate with their clients risk losing those clients – or even facing a malpractice claim. But it is also true that clients have reciprocal obligations to disclose relevant facts, to… Read More »
Categories: Communication Errors
Tendering, in real estate practice, is a strategy real estate lawyers can use to demonstrate a client’s willingness and readiness to close a transaction in circumstances where there may be doubts about the other party’s ability or willingness to close on time. done properly, tendering can help to preserve a client’s rights in the event… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate
Big changes – positive and negative – have happened to the profession in the past. We have gone through economic cycles and seen both emerging and disappearing areas of law. Court rules and procedures have changed. There was the consolidation and growth of big firms and the general movement from general practitioners to specialists. Technology… Read More »
Categories: Law Practice Management
By stating that they are not practising law or providing legal advice, legal service providers (see yesterday’s post on what a “legal service provider” is) shrewdly aim to take themselves out of the current legal services regulatory scheme and nicely avoid all the education, admission, ethics and insurance obligations that lawyers must fulfill. You can… Read More »
Categories: Legal Technology, Law Practice Management
After discussing who will provide legal services, a relevant question here is “What is the practice of law?” Coming up with a definition of the practice of law has proven to be very difficult. Many have tried, and many have failed, including an American Bar Association Commission. For the purposes of this article we won’t… Read More »
Categories: Law Practice Management
Our current legal system is predicated on lawyers – and more recently paralegals – delivering “legal services” (the definition of this term is discussed in the next section). Can Ontario lawyers maintain a monopoly on professional legal services? The answer is probably not. In fact, some would argue the monopoly ended when paralegals were given… Read More »
Categories: Legal Technology, Law Practice ManagementLand 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.
