Features
What 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, FeaturesGetting 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, FeaturesRecruiting and retaining top talent
Attracting the best possible lateral associates is critical to a law firm’s ability to maintain its competitive edge, financial leverage, internal succession and future success when candidates approach our firm about a lateral move, they all tend to ask a variation of the following questions: which firm is the best for me? Which will make… Read More »
Categories: 2012 January Employment, Articles, Features, Firm Management, Legal CareersIs this the job you want? How to find the right fit – and then sell yourself in the interview
On the face of it, interviewing should not be all that difficult – particularly for lawyers. As members of a profession who primarily make their living either writing or speaking, the idea that having a conversation about your interests and abilities in your own profession sounds both logical and easy. But throw the words “job… Read More »
Categories: 2012 January Employment, Articles, Features, Legal CareersIs anyone listening? Preventing communications claims
It’s easy to prevent communications breakdowns: So why is this consistently the #1 source of claims for LAWPRO? No matter what the area of practice, the number one source of claims at LAWPRO is a breakdown in communication between the lawyer and client. And those numbers are increasing. Between 2005 and 2010, more than 4,200… Read More »
Categories: 2011 Fall Communications, Articles, Civil Litigation, Communications Errors, Corporate Law, Family, Features, Inadequate Investigation, Real Estate, Wills & EstatesLet’s get talking – A look at communications breakdowns
Humans communicate from the time they are infants until the day they die. At its heart, communication is all about the same thing – whether we speak, write, gesture, sign, listen, or tweet. It’s a way of telling someone something. So why, if lawyers have been communicating for as long as they have, are the… Read More »
Categories: 2011 Fall Communications, Articles, Communications Errors, Features, Practice TipsLawyer incivility – The claims consequences
At LAWPRO, we’ve seen a growing proportion of incivility allegations cropping up in claims. For example, lawyers may find themselves personally liable to pay a party’s costs under Rule 57.07 (Rules of Civil Procedure) where the court has found that the lawyer’s actions contributed to running up the bill. Incivility can also lead to other… Read More »
Categories: 2011 Fall Communications, Articles, Communications Errors, FeaturesLawyer incivility: How clients – and the bar- pay the consequences
The perception that the legal profession is becoming less civil has attracted widespread comment – from the judiciary to legal associations to regulatory bodies. The common concern: the potentially damaging consequences of a lack of civility on the individual matter, on the lawyer-client relationship (and on the quality of the service that the lawyer provides… Read More »
Categories: 2011 Fall Communications, Articles, Civil Litigation, Communications Errors, Features