Malpractice Errors
New Fraud Scheme: Insurance Settlement Funds
A new fraud scheme involving insurance settlement funds has a familiar end: the cheque is fraudulent. A fraudster approaches a lawyer, usually with no previous relationship, asking the lawyer to review settlement documents, provide ILA, and receive the settlement funds into the lawyer’s trust account. The documents bear the name of a real insurance company…. Read More »
Categories: Fraud, Online OnlyPhishing scams: Be the one that got away
Phishing involves the use of an email, text message, or phone call that appears to come from a trusted source or institution, vendor, or company, but is actually from a third-party impostor. Phishing messages are intended to trick you into giving fraudsters your information by asking you to update or confirm personal or online account… Read More »
Categories: 2026 Student issue 12, Cyber dangers, FraudWatch for unauthorized wire transfers from your trust account
A growing number of LAWPRO insureds are experiencing unauthorized wire transfers from their trust and general accounts. One lawyer discovered $1.6 million dollars was removed in eight unauthorized transactions over three days. These frauds are concerning as the bank’s multi-factor authentication (MFA) login and transaction token or notice processes for wire transfers were bypassed. We… Read More »
Categories: 2026 June Technology, Articles, Cyber dangers, FraudCurrent scams, cons, and swindles
Fraud. It’s here to stay and fraudsters are several steps ahead of their targets – that’s you. We’re sharing some recent scams, cons, and swindles that have been reported to LAWPRO: Cheque fraud A lawyer reviewed their cashed cheques and noticed some of them were fraudulent. The numbering sequence was wrong (the lawyer had already… Read More »
Categories: 2026 June Technology, Articles, Cyber dangers, FraudConflicts, Undertakings, and File Management: What You Need to Know (2025)
Join us for a practical discussion on common claims and consequences from conflicts of interest and solicitor’s undertakings, including what happens when promises go unfulfilled. We will walk through file management best practices, from retainers to closing, including file retention. Learn tips you can apply today to prevent future issues in your legal practice. We’ll… Read More »
Categories: Conflicts of Interest, CPD, CPD Practice ManagementWhen a Law Firm Gets Hacked: A Case Study in Cybersecurity Risks and Recovery
As cyberattacks become increasingly sophisticated and prevalent, law firms are emerging as targets due to the highly sensitive nature of their data and pools of money. Law firms can hold a wealth of confidential data, including client identities, case details, and proprietary legal strategies, making them prime candidates for cybercriminals seeking to exploit this valuable… Read More »
Categories: Cyber dangers, Disaster Planning, Fraud, Online OnlyVerify the withdrawals from your accounts
LAWPRO has received claims from lawyers who fell victim to fraudsters diverting and depositing cheques meant for their clients. In two cases to date, lawyers issued cheques to their clients as part of their professional services. However, in both cases, an identical amount was withdrawn from the lawyer’s trust account but payable to a third… Read More »
Categories: Fraud, Online OnlyEmotional contagion and the civil lawyer
Charles Dickens’ 1853 novel Bleak House begins with an account of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, an endless legal case mired in the “mud and fog” of the English Chancery courts. As told by Dickens, Jarndyce was “about a will and the trusts under a will—or it was once. It’s about nothing but costs now…” The goals… Read More »
Categories: 2025 Feb - Emotional Contagion, Articles, Communications ErrorsManaging a better professional services firm
Managing a better professional services firm requires that you excel at providing superlative client service. Good technical skills and quality legal advice met the grade in the past but times have changed. The legal services marketplace is now more competitive than ever, and the competitors are not just other lawyers. Clients have become more demanding… Read More »
Categories: 2025 Feb - Emotional Contagion, Articles, Communications Errors, Firm ManagementWhen ILA isn’t
This is a story of what seemed like a simple independent legal advice (ILA) matter that turned out to be more complicated than it looked. The claim story A lender sought ILA about a loan that he wanted to advance to a friend. The friend intended to use the money to purchase additional shares in… Read More »
Categories: Independent Legal Advice, Online Only