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Claims costs climb into $100 million territory
Our readers will by now be familiar with the news that total claims costs (including internal handling costs) for each of the 2011 and 2012 policy years are expected to be in the $100 million ballpark. Our ongoing actuarial analysis makes it clear that claims costs of $80 million and more (before internal adjusting expense)… Read More »
Categories: 2012 October - Insurance Issue 2013, Articles, Errors & OmissionsWhy you don’t (but should) think about Excess insurance
If you are relying on only the coverage offered under LAWPRO’s mandatory insurance program to satisfy claims that may be made against you, you may be at financial risk. The coverage limits under the mandatory program are $1 million per claim and $2 million in the aggregate. The cost of resolving claims is growing every… Read More »
Categories: 2012 October - Insurance Issue 2013, Articles, Excess, Excess insurance2013 insurance coverage for exempt lawyers
in-house corporate counsel government lawyers, educators and others not in active private practice retired lawyers, estate trustees, emeritus lawyers, judges and others no longer practising law legal aid clinic lawyers (not directly employed by Legal Aid Ontario) lawyers who engage in only occasional practice in Ontario and are resident in a Canadian jurisdiction other than… Read More »
Categories: 2012 October - Insurance Issue 2013, Articles, Errors & OmissionsInadequate investigation/discovery now #1 cause of claims
The devil – as they say – is in the details. And it’s the details that appear to be creating issues for lawyers when it comes to the principal underlying cause of claims. Back in 1998, “inadequate discovery of fact or inadequate investigation” was the fifth most common cause of a claim when we looked… Read More »
Categories: 2012 August Checklists, Articles, Civil Litigation, Inadequate Investigation, Practice Tips, Real Estate, Wills & EstatesDiversify without dabbling: Before expanding your practice, expand your competence
Think you have the confidence to bluff your way through a file that’s outside your normal scope of practice? It might work if you were playing a lawyer on TV… but that’s only because your opponent (and the judge, if it’s a litigation file) would be actors, too. In the real world, trying to “fake… Read More »
Categories: 2012 August Checklists, Articles, Dabbling, Failure to Know The Law, Legal Careers, Practice TipsWhat keeps you up at night? Ontario family lawyers answer our question
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: 2012 August Checklists, Articles, Family, FeaturesAvoiding claims while serving clients on a budget
In today’s difficult economic environment, it’s not unusual for lawyers to find themselves dealing with requests for representation from clients of limited means, or clients who want to keep their legal fees at a minimum. The economic issues these types of requests raise is but one consideration: Access to justice – which has become a… Read More »
Categories: 2012 August Checklists, Access to Justice, Articles, Communications Errors, Limited scope retainer/unbundling, Practice TipsGetting the final document correct: The rationale for using a checklist for commercial transactions
Many commercial matters involve the preparation of one or more documents. These documents are drafted based on communications between the parties to the document and/or their respective lawyers, the specific circumstances of the matter and applicable substantive law. While the majority of commercial deals in Ontario are concluded without difficulties, all too often LAWPRO sees… Read More »
Categories: 2012 August Checklists, Articles, Checklist, Corporate Law, FeaturesTop 10 family law developments to have on your radar
In the past 18 months, we have seen significant developments in jurisprudence on a variety of family law issues. In addition, a number of cases have come out that while not strictly related to family law, should be kept in mind. The following are the top ten noteworthy cases that every family law lawyer should… Read More »
Categories: 2012 August Checklists, Articles, Family