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
The very word “cottage” conjures up images of summer fun: boating, walks in the woods, sitting out on the dock with a cold drink or roasting marshmallows by the bonfire. These are the things on which you want your clients to focus when they come to you for assistance with the purchase of a cottage… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate
Helping clients reduce the costs of resolving family disputes has become a practical issue for many family lawyers. As a result, many family lawyers are offering to do work on a limited scope retainer or “unbundled” basis. This means doing part, but not all, of the work on a legal matter. This could include one… Read More »
Categories: Communication Errors, Family Law
Title insurance is one tool that purchasers can employ to reduce some of the risks associated with a real estate purchase. This may not sound like “news” meriting coverage in a publication for lawyers. However, claims experience here at LAWPRO suggests that the function of title insurance is not fully understood by the bar –… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate, The TitlePLUS Program & Title Insurance
On top of being unfamiliar with the best marketing techniques, many lawyers struggle to find the time for business development activities. The internet and social media offer real estate lawyers new options for reaching out to existing and potential clients and is a friendly, non-offensive way to interact with them. Websites, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate, Technology
On May 5, 2001, when the Condominium Act, 1998 came into force, it created the real estate entity known as a Parcel of Tied Land (“POTL”). A POTL is a freehold parcel of land, or a standard condominium unit, which is inextricably tied to a share in a Common Elements Condominium (“CEC”). The POTL is… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate
Pro bono work is something nearly every lawyer does occasionally. Here’s one practical tip for avoiding some pro bono pitfalls: open a file for every matter you handle. By “open a file”, we mean treat the work like you would any other work. Run a conflicts check; diarize deadlines; document the client’s instructions, your advice… Read More »
Categories: Communication Errors
By definition, a requisition is the act of formally requiring or calling upon someone to perform an action. However, one cannot demand performance without fully knowing what to request. Requisitions are not merely a means of communication between two parties but a process by which matters requiring attention, such as defects in title, are investigated… Read More »
Categories: Real Estate
Serving as a director of a charitable or not-for-profit corporation can be a rewarding but potentially risky experience. A director can be held personally liable for his or her own actions or failures to act, as well as jointly and severally liable with the other members of the board of directors. Directors with specialized knowledge… Read More »
Categories: Risk Management Strategies, Practice AidsLand 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.
