Content Type
2018 insurance coverage for lawyers in private practice, sole practitioners and lawyers in association or partnership
Standard insurance coverage The base program Eligibility: Required of all lawyers¹ providing services in private practice.² Coverage limit: $1 million per claim/$2 million in the aggregate (i.e., for all claims made in 2018), applicable to claim expenses, indemnity payments and/or costs of repairs together. Standard deductible: $5,000 per claim, applicable to claim expenses, indemnity payments… Read More »
Categories: 2017 September - Insurance Issue 2018, Articles, Content TypeCivil litigation levies evolve to reflect risks
No lawyer in private practice is immune to professional indemnity claims. However, over 20 years’ experience insuring the Ontario bar has made it clear to LAWPRO analysts that claims risk varies with area of practice. Lawyers who practise real estate or civil litigation face a significantly higher risk of claims than those who practise in… Read More »
Categories: 2017 September - Insurance Issue 2018, Articles, Civil Litigation, Content Type, Errors & OmissionsThe amorphous now
Dealing with ambiguity is one of the most important skills a leader can master. Making decisions when all necessary information is not at hand helps to keep our economies, businesses and even families moving forward. There often isn’t enough time to gather all the pertinent data – it just doesn’t exist, or it’s too expensive…. Read More »
Categories: 2017 August Managing Change, Articles, Content Type, Editorials, LAWPRO Magazine, LAWPRO Magazine Article TypeModel Electronic Document Handling Policy
This model policy is a supplement to LAWPRO Magazine: Cybercrime and law firms, published December 2013. This policy should be adapted to meet the specific requirements and technology in your firm. This policy addresses the best practices for the handling, delivery, and exchange of electronic documents. While the main areas of concern are with sending… Read More »
Categories: Legal Technology, PrecedentsBackup Best Practices and Strategies
Securing and protecting your firm’s data is essential. Client files, important communications, and valuable work product often exist exclusively in digital format today, and thus a major loss could have catastrophic professional and ethical ramifications. Whether you’re revisiting an existing backup strategy or implementing one for the first time, these best practices and strategies (in… Read More »
Categories: PrecedentsThe graceful exit: Leaving practice on a high note
In the last few years of their careers, many lawyers begin to think about the meaning of legacy. What has been my contribution? How will I be remembered? Part of being a professional means having a vision beyond simply working a job and earning money. Most lawyers are guided by personal values, a commitment to… Read More »
Categories: 2017 August Managing Change, Articles, Content Type, Features, Firm Management, LAWPRO Magazine, Legal Careers, Succession Planning, TopicsReflections on technology changes in real estate practice
Facilitating transfers of real estate has been the bread-and-butter of thousands of Ontario lawyers for generations. Despite occasional market wobbles, real estate business has helped firms to flourish in communities of all sizes, often supporting the delivery of family, estates, commercial and even criminal law services. Healthy real estate practices support both lawyers’ own families… Read More »
Categories: 2017 August Managing Change, Areas of Law, Articles, Clerical / Delegation, Communications Errors, Cyber dangers, Features, Inadequate Investigation, LAWPRO Magazine Article Type, Legal Technology, Real Estate, Time Management, TopicsLitigation claims on the rise
In recent years, the growth in civil litigation claims has outstripped the overall growth in claims. For example, from 2006 through 2010 LAWPRO received an average of 708 civil litigation claims each year, and during 2011 through 2015, the average increased to 948 each year. This growth of 34 per cent vastly exceeds the 7… Read More »
Categories: 2017 August Managing Change, Admin dismissals/Rule 48, Areas of Law, Articles, Civil Litigation, Communications Errors, Content Type, Dabbling, Features, Inadequate Investigation, LAWPRO Magazine, LAWPRO Magazine Article Type, Limitation Periods, Time ManagementCommercial title insurance: What you need to know
A discussion regarding title insurance (or any insurance for that matter) requires the understanding that it is insurance. It does not fix problems, it underwrites risks. As lawyers, it is incumbent upon us to be able to convey this clearly to our clients, whether lenders or more likely borrowers/purchasers. In the days of yore, the… Read More »
Categories: 2017 August Managing Change, Areas of Law, Articles, Content Type, Insurance Business, Real Estate, Title insurancepracticePRO.ca: Time for a new look
It’s been nearly 20 years since the launch of the original practicePRO.ca website. While the site was basic by today’s standards, it offered the high quality risk management articles, checklists and precedents lawyers would come to expect from the program. In its first few years, practicePRO.ca averaged 30,000 visitors and 7,000 downloads per year. By… Read More »
Categories: 2017 August Managing Change, Articles, Content Type, Social Media