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Failure to Know The Law

The Top 10 Changes to the Planning Act You Need to Know About and Why

The anachronistic provisions of the Ontario Planning Act (the “Act”) and the red tape they created have frustrated lawyers and property owners for many years. The government has listened, and after consultations with many stakeholders over the last two years, long overdue changes are finally here. We believe these changes will save the public time… Read More »

Categories: 2022 June - After Covid 19, Articles, Failure to Know The Law, Real Estate

Recent changes to wills, powers of attorney and succession law

The government has enacted 4 important changes regarding wills, powers of attorney (POAs) and to the administration of an estate with Bill 245 – Accelerating Access to Justice Act, 2021 which received Royal Assent on April 19, 2021. (See amendments in Schedule 8 – Substitute Decisions Act, 1992 and Schedule 9 – Succession Law Reform… Read More »

Categories: 2022 June - After Covid 19, Articles, Failure to Know The Law, Wills & Estates

Landmines for Lawyers When Drafting Wills

When it comes to mistakes and claims, the Achilles heel for lawyers in the wills and estates area is drafting wills: Making will-drafting errors – either because of poor communication, inadequate discovery or errors in law – is the single most common issue in claims reported in this area of law. In many cases, the… Read More »

Categories: Articles, Communications Errors, Failure to Know The Law, Inadequate Investigation, Wills & Estates

Everything old is new again: Will the return of a broader rent control regime haunt the Ontario real estate bar?

condo tower

For decades the existence of rent control has posed a risk to Ontario real estate lawyers acting on the purchase and mortgaging of residential rental property. The range of affected properties is immense: From a basement apartment to a rented single family house to the largest multi-residential complexes in the province, many real estate files… Read More »

Categories: 2018 May Year in Review 2017, Areas of Law, Articles, Content Type, Failure to Know The Law, Inadequate Investigation, Malpractice Errors, Real Estate

Make sure clients aren’t caught off guard by the Rental Fairness Act

On April 27, 2017 the Province of Ontario amended the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) with the introduction of the Rental Fairness Act. Some of the changes to the RTA are already fully in force, others will come into play in 2018. The amendments to the RTA affect every residential tenancy in Ontario to different… Read More »

Categories: 2018 February Top Legal Disruptions, Areas of Law, Articles, Content Type, Could This Happen to You?, Failure to Know The Law, LAWPRO Magazine, LAWPRO Magazine Article Type, Malpractice Errors, Real Estate, Topics

Common practice pitfalls: How to avoid them

Man on highwire

Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company (LAWPRO) was created to insure lawyers against legal malpractice claims. Most (though not all) claims are brought by a lawyer’s own client and include an allegation that the lawyer made a mistake or did not meet the standard of care expected of him or her when delivering legal services. No lawyer… Read More »

Categories: 2016 Student Issue 4, Articles, Communications Errors, Failure to Know The Law, Inadequate Investigation, Law students/new lawyers, Limitation Periods, New Lawyers, Time Management

Providing high quality service to Indigenous clients

Just as the final research for this article was being completed in November, newly-elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his Cabinet, including the appointment of Jody Wilson-Raybould as Minister of Justice and Attorney General. The next morning, a cautiously hopeful mood filled the room as a group of Aboriginal lawyers gathered at the Law Society… Read More »

Categories: 2016 January Indigenous, Aboriginal, Articles, Communications Errors, Dabbling, Diversity, Failure to Know The Law, Features, Inadequate Investigation, Indigenous clients

Potential claims related to serving Indigenous clients

We hope that January 2016 issue of LAWPRO Magazine has contributed to your understanding of the incredible breadth and complexity of “Aboriginal law.” We would not be fulfilling our risk management mandate, however, if we didn’t contribute our own perspective as claims prevention specialists. To avoid claims, lawyers need to know how they develop. What… Read More »

Categories: 2016 January Indigenous, Aboriginal, Articles, Communications Errors, Failure to Know The Law, Features, Inadequate Investigation, Indigenous clients, Practice Tips

Land Acknowledgement

The offices of LAWPRO are located on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishnabeg, Chippewa, Haudenosaunee and Wendat peoples. Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. LAWPRO respects and acknowledges the histories, languages, knowledge systems, and cultures of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit nations.

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