Apply for optional indemnity coverage for in-house counsel

A lawyer currently practising as an in-house counsel has the option of paying the indemnity fee for either full-time or part-time practice.

As an in-house counsel, you must determine which of your legal services would be covered under the policy and how many hours you spend on those services. For example, claims against you by your employer, or a related organization, which employs you, at which you work as a seconded lawyer, or at which you are a partner, are excluded under the policy. Accordingly, the time during which your advice is to your employer (or seconding organization or partnership) should not be included in your activities set out on your part-time discount application form. However, the time you spend on activities which may give rise to a claim against you by a third party as well as the activities listed above should be included.

Part-time coverage

The part-time option provides the full coverage available through the policy for half the cost of full-time coverage. You may apply for the part-time discount if you are engaged in the private practice of law (any professional services for which the indemnification policy extends coverage), related professional services and activities that further those services for an average of 25 hours per week or less. The terms “related professional services” and “activities that further those services” include but are not limited to:

  • any professional services for which the policy extends coverage
  • practice management
  • continuing professional development (CPD),* other continuing legal education such as participation in Canadian Bar Association sections, and other voluntary activities associated with the practice of law or provision of professional services such as mediation training
  • professional duties or representation on bodies such as the Law Society, the Canadian Bar Association, the Continuing Legal Education Society and other organizations
  • professional services undertaken but delegated to others (e.g to an articled student or a paralegal)

* If the CPD is subject to a maximum credit allowance, you need include only that maximum in your calculation of hours. If you are a teacher or student at a post-secondary institution, those activities are not part-time practice activities, even if claimed as CPD, and are not included in your calculation of hours.

To be eligible for the discount, you should be continuously employed on a part-time basis. You may occasionally practise more than 25 hours per week, as long as on average, over consecutive six-month periods (January to June; July to December), you practise 25 hours per week or less.

You may not apply for part-time coverage if:

  • you practise full time for a portion of the year and do not practise at all for a portion or the balance of the year; or
  • you have had a professional liability insurance or indemnity claim in the past five calendar years in any jurisdiction for which an indemnity payment has been made.

Apply for optional indemnity coverage

Practising lawyers

If you currently hold practising membership with the Law Society and only wish to change your indemnity status, you can submit an online application via the link in the sidebar or the Member Portal. If your application is approved, you will be invoiced for the difference in fees (see Schedule 2 – note that GST will be added to the listed fees).

Non-practising and retired lawyers

If you currently hold non-practising or retired membership with the Law Society and wish to return to practising membership, you must submit an application for Return to Practice rather than an online application for a stand-alone indemnity change.

Applicants for admission or reinstatement

If you are applying for admission to the Law Society or seeking to reinstate your membership, you must submit the relevant paper-based application rather than a stand-alone application for indemnity coverage. Please see the related page on our website for more information on the application process for admission and reinstatement: