Capacity
Acting for a client with dementia (Practice Watch, Spring 2015 Benchers' Bulletin)
Report on Common-Law Tests of Capacity (BCLI)
Civility
Lack of civility can lead to discipline (June 2011 Discipline Advisory)
Groia v. Law Society of Upper Canada, 2018 SCC 27, [2018] 1 S.C.R. 772
Client files
Closed Files: Retention and Disposition
Closing a file: What documents to keep and for how long (Winter 2017 Benchers' Bulletin)
Ownership of Documents in a Client’s File
Reporting Letter to Client – Closing a File
Non-Engagement Letters (revised 2020)
Client file opening and closing checklist Word | pdf
Client ID and verification
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Closing a law practice
Winding Up a Practice: A Checklist
Withdrawal from the Practice of Law: sample newspaper notice and letter to clients
Communications
Guidance for Lawyers on Using Inclusive Language
Confidentiality / Conflict of interest
Crossing the Border with Electronic Devices: What Canadian Legal Professionals Should Know (December 14, 2018, Federation of Law Societies of Canada)
Law Office Search Warrants
Supreme Court of Canada releases decisions concerning CRA notices of requirements (Summer 2016 Benchers' Bulletin)
Model conflicts of interest checklist
Financial / Accounting / Tax
Highlights of Changes to Trust Account and Cash Rules (July 2019)
Did you know that banks can place holds on trust cheques, certified cheques and bank drafts? (September 2018)
Are you or any of your employees US citizens? (Fall 2015 Benchers' Bulletin, p. 13)
Garnishment of Lawyers' Trust Accounts
Ministry of Finance announces additional property transfer tax effective August 2, 2016
CRA notices of requirement (Fall 2016 Benchers' Bulletin)
Supreme Court of Canada releases decisions concerning CRA notices of requirements (Summer 2016 Benchers' Bulletin)
Lost and Stolen Cheques, Bank Drafts and Trust Cheques: some modest but partial solutions, The Advocate
Cheques, Bank Drafts and Trust Cheques: New Problems with an Old System, The Advocate
See also: Trust Accounting and Trust Assurance Program
Independent legal advice
Independent legal advice checklist (February 2022) Word | pdf
Independent legal advice checklist, annotated with LIF's risk management tips (March 2014)
Law corporations
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Lawyer leaving law firm
Precedent letters when lawyer leaves a firm
Ethical considerations when a lawyer leaves a firm* (Practice, Summer 2017 Benchers' Bulletin)
*This article is an update to "Ethical considerations when a lawyer moves on" (Practice Watch, Summer 2014 Benchers’ Bulletin)
The departing lawyer in the age of Covid-19 - Ethical, legal and practical guidance (Practice, Summer 2020 Bencher's Bulletin)
Locums
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Model policies
Model policies are for you to consider and use when you draft your own policies. They are NOT meant to be standard policies. Their suitability will depend upon a number of factors, such as the current state of the law and practice in each area of law, your writing style and your needs. Some may need to be modified to correspond to current law and practice.
Social Media and Social Networking Policies and Procedures
Guidelines – Recruiting, Interviewing and Hiring Practices
Internet and E-Mail Use
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy for Employees of a Law Firm
Respectful Workplace Word | PDF
Workplace Accommodation
Workplace Equality
Materials developed for the Justicia project:
Flexible Work Arrangements Word | PDF
Parental leave model policy for associates Word | PDF
Parental leave model policy for partners Word | PDF
Parental leave frequently asked questions
Demographic data collection