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Law Is a Buyer’s Market: Building A Client-First Law Firm
Law firms are experiencing a wrenching period of upheaval. Economic crises, technology explosions, and a regulatory revolution have spawned a wave of innovative competitors. Newly empowered clients have adopted aggressive buying behaviours and begun dictating the terms of their relationships to law firms. Faced with this unprecedented competitive landscape and an industry-wide drop in demand… Read More »
Categories: Book, Firm ManagementOntario Small Claims Court limits increased to $35,000
On January 1, 2020, the claim limit for Smalls Claims Court increased from $25,000 to $35,000. The move is intended to provide the public with quicker and more affordable Court based dispute resolution for claims up to the new $35,000 limit. The government has also indicated that claims commenced in Superior Court will be able… Read More »
Categories: Online OnlyEditorial: Help is available
At one time or another, most lawyers and paralegals will have seen a family member, a friend, or a colleague struggling with health or addiction issues. Undoubtedly, a good number of those reading this column will have themselves struggled with health issues at some point during the course of their career. Historically, the profession has… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, EditorialsUnderstanding mental health in the legal profession
Herman Melville wrote that the legal profession is one where “misery hides aloof, so we deem that misery there is none.” In Melville’s story of Bartleby, the Scrivenor, a solicitor watches this silent misery slowly consume and destroy his copyist, Bartleby. Although Melville wrote his tragedy about depression in the legal profession in 1853, it… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, Wellness, WellnessUsing the MAP to find a healthier way
Although compromised mental health within the legal profession has historically been a widespread and deeply rooted problem, increasing awareness and new resources are building a healthier, more resilient, and stronger profession. That’s where myassistplan.com from the Member Assistance Program (MAP) comes in. The MAP provides Ontario lawyers, paralegals, law students, judges, and family members, with… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, Wellness, WellnessWarning signs: Why it’s important for lawyers and firms to be proactive about mental health
When lawyers ignore their mental health and fail to act on warning signs, they not only harm their quality-of-life and job satisfaction, they leave themselves open to a claim, or even a cluster of malpractice claims. It’s 10:00 p.m. Do you know where your associates are? A lawyer’s life can be a lonely one. Long… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, Wellness, WellnessPuttıng the fire out: Dealing with the stress of a malpractice claim
There is simply no doubt about it: making an error or having an action commenced against you is stressful, even for the most successful lawyers. And because almost half of Ontario lawyers in private practice will face a malpractice claim at least once in their career, at some point this stress will be a reality… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, Wellness, WellnessWhat are my insurance options if I need to take a temporary leave of absence from practice?
You can apply for Exemption ‘C’ under the LAWPRO Program if you are taking a temporary leave of absence from practice. The leave may be up to five years for family reasons or illness and two years for other reasons. This exemption is for a temporary leave of absence only, meaning you must intend to… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, FAQs, LAWPRO policyDo your firm’s marketing practices expose you to vicarious liability?
While “law firm” once conjured an image either of a sole practitioner with a small storefront office or a multi-generational law firm with clearly defined partners and associates, many other firm structures now exist as lawyers opt to work from their homes, from virtual offices, and from shared accommodations. The work lawyers choose to do… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, Excess, LAWPRO policyNavigating the LAT Regime – Traps for unfamiliar lawyers
Even when a case falls into an area of law in which a lawyer is experienced, a new or unfamiliar administrative regime can present risks for lawyers not prepared for the particular statutory framework. Importantly, missing key details and requirements can lead to malpractice claims from inadequate investigation or communication failures with clients. The following… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, Could This Happen to You?, Inadequate Investigation, Personal injury