Malpractice Errors
Watch 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 However, in both cases, an identical amount was withdrawn from the lawyer’s trust account but payable to a third… Read More »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 OnlyEstates and Limitation Periods – Recent case decision
Navigating limitation periods is a critical aspect of legal practice in Ontario and lawyers are often faced with the challenge of determining which legislation applies to their clients’ cases. In a recent case, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that the two-year limitation period under the Trustee Act applied to the respondent’s equitable trust claim… Read More »
Categories: Limitation Periods, Online Only, Wills & EstatesWhy have claims from inadequate investigation risen almost 300% since 1998?
The devil is in the details, and it’s the details that appear to be creating issues for lawyers when it comes to the underlying causes of many claims. Back in 1998, “inadequate discovery of fact or inadequate investigation” was the fifth most common cause of a claim (178 claims or 9%) when we looked at… Read More »
Categories: 2024 June - Time for Tomorrow, Articles, Inadequate Investigation