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LAWPRO Magazine: 2017 August Managing Change
In This Issue of LAWPRO Magazine
The 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 »
The 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 »
Reflections 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 »
Litigation 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 »
Commercial 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 »
practicePRO.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 »
Don’t let claims follow you into retirement
Lawyers often approach retirement feeling good about their legacy. Whether you devoted your efforts to crafting airtight contracts, supported clients as they worked toward mediated settlements, or stood up for the rights of those who needed you, you’re entitled to feel proud of your accomplishments. Looking back, however, may heighten your awareness of just how… Read More »
“I will be out of the office…forever” and I don’t want to deal with claims
Are you thinking of changing careers or law firms, selling the practice, or retiring? As other articles in this issue have highlighted, even after you retire, malpractice claims can engage your LawPRO E&O run-off coverage. Real estate lawyers should consider TitlePLUS title insurance since claims covered under the Legal Service Coverage¹ in a TitlePLUS policy… Read More »
The mysterious magic of routines
As a child, did you step carefully over every sidewalk crack? Tap each post of the hockey net before settling into the crease? Wear your lucky socks to every law school exam? Even those of us who scorn superstition rely on routines and rituals for our own protection: we swallow a daily multivitamin, fasten our… Read More »
Outsourcing your law firm’s cybersecurity
According to a survey¹ of UK law firms, a quarter of them have been the victims of cyberattacks, as have almost a third of US firms according to the ABA Legal Technology Survey Report. While there has not been a similar survey done of Canadian firms, the numbers are probably similar. And the high-publicity hacks… Read More »
Retirement, identity, and mental health: It’s an adjustment
Lawyers often pay lip service to looking forward to retirement. However, when pressed on the subject, many admit that their true feelings are mixed. Those who equivocate may have good reason: for many professionals, the adjustment to retirement can be psychologically challenging. A 2013 study¹ showed that retirement increased the risk of clinical depression in… Read More »
Book review – The Lawyer’s Guide to Succession Planning
No one likes to think about getting older, and lawyers may tend to put off thinking about the day they have to retire from the profession they love and the firms they have spent a lifetime building. However, the fact is that there is a wave of Boomers hitting retirement age (90 million in North… Read More »