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CPD credits by province

Estate planning seems relatively straightforward - a client asks for a will and you draw it up. You do what the client asks, and the client is happy, so all is well, right? Not exactly. Estate planning is complicated - it involves understanding estate and gift tax laws, income tax laws, probate procedure, financial planning, and long-term care planning. It also requires a tremendous amount of research, fact-finding and listening. Lawyers who dabble in will drafting, and even experienced estate planning practitioners who fail to have frank discussions with clients, can cause serious errors and invite negligence claims. Attend this program and learn how you can avoid costly mistakes for your clients, and for you. Experienced estates lawyer Lynne Butler...Read More

CPD credits by province

While none of us can “get,” “have,” or “make” more time, we can learn to better manage our environment, routines, boundaries and choices. Attend this 90-minute webinar with noted legal consultant Bill Jawitz and get specific strategies, tactics and tools to help you stay on track, prioritize and delegate effectively, and organize your physical and electronic information. By implementing Bill’s eight essential elements of time management you’ll significantly reduce interruptions during your day, stay more on top of your workload, and avoid costly mistakes and oversights. Don’t miss this opportunity to join the thousands of lawyers who have taken this course...Read More

CPD credits by province

Social media has transformed human interactions and relations. For better or for worse, we now have more access than ever before to information about people’s habits, work lives, lifestyles, whereabouts, friends, and even their communications. This treasure trove of electronic evidence has not been lost on lawyers, as nearly every day judges must grapple with the opportunities and challenges this material presents. Join Professor Rob Currie of the Schulich School of Law as he analyzes recent evidentiary considerations relating to the use of social media evidence, and electronic evidence generally, in both the civil and criminal settings. Using a combination of civil and criminal fact scenarios and audience polling...Read More

CPD credits by province

Starting a business can be one of the most exciting - and uncertain - times in a client’s life. New owners look to their lawyers for not only legal counsel but also practical business advice on the challenges they may encounter. This new, 90-minute webinar with experienced corporate and commercial lawyers Ryan Turner and Katherine Bayer will provide an overview of key issues lawyers working with start-ups should canvass with their clients. In addition to basic business law matters, Ryan and Katherine will address strategies for minimizing both legal and financial risk, and ancillary issues that often escape notice until problems arise. Full of practical tips and “how-to” information...Read More

CPD credits by province

The greatest skill any lawyer can possess is the ability to write clearly, concisely, and convincingly. Good writing skills will not only improve the results you obtain, but will also enhance your reputation with judges, lawyers, and clients. The point-first approach to writing puts context before details, emphasizing the need for clarity and concision in legal memos and factums. In this entertaining, highly practical webinar, William Bernhardt, lawyer and New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books, tells lawyers what they need to know to succeed on the printed page, based upon personal experience, conversations with judges and lawyers, and a lifetime of writing. Bernhardt uses...Read More

CPD credits by province

When someone transfers money or assets to another, it is not unusual for a third party to question the transaction later. This is especially common among siblings after a parent’s death, where one child who received money, for example, to buy a home or start a business, will usually claim it was a gift and other children or beneficiaries will argue it was a loan. Because such transactions – and the intention behind them – is rarely properly documented, families can spend years fighting over an innocent gesture that at the time was intended to provide support and relief. This highly practical webinar with leading estates lawyer Nicole Ewing, Director, Tax and Estate Planning, TD Wealth will explain...Read More

CPD credits by province

Attend this program so you can better understand the financial issues related to separation and divorce. This 90-minute webinar with experienced family law lawyer and Chartered Business Valuator Stacie Glazman will address financial aspects of provincial family laws and federal divorce laws, with helpful tips on how to navigate the related practical processes. Among the topics Stacie will cover are: understanding the basics of financial statements, what constitutes “income” for support purposes?, additional considerations with the self-employed payor, and income tax implications of support payments. In addition, Stacie will discuss...Read More

CPD credits by province

Do you read "aging client" and move on? Stop! Aging is a continuum that affects our physical, social and legal connections, beginning as early as middle age. All lawyers can expect to encounter new dynamics in their relationship with clients as they age, including planning for and managing incapacity, protecting against abuse, exploitation and discrimination, and maintaining personal autonomy. Milestone events like retirement and later-life marriage and divorce require a more thoughtful lens, but so do quieter transactions like changing names on bank accounts, amending title and share documents, and drafting new powers of attorney. These are challenging conversations that can sometimes create conflicts but if trusted legal counsel doesn’t raise them, who will? This highly practical program with noted elder law lawyer Jan Goddard is designed to enhance your understanding of how specific legal issues related to aging arise in different practice areas, what steps lawyers can take to help safeguard clients' autonomy and self-determination, and general best practices for maintaining high standards of professionalism and service when working with aging clients. Using a combination of fact scenarios and audience polls, Jan will explore...Read More

CPD credits by province

Virtual examinations now appear to be a permanent part of the litigation landscape. And while the convenience and cost-savings are consistently clear wins for clients, the efficacy and success of a remote examination ultimately rests with counsel. So, how do you prepare for not just the substance of the examination, but also the logistical quirks of proceeding remotely? Should there be an agreement to go off the record when technical issues arise? What are the rules about who can be in the same room as the witness during the examination and how are these enforced? Are there rules for other forms of communication during the examination like texting or chatting? Are documents electronic or paper and how should they be handled? This new, 90-minute webinar with experienced litigation counsel Caroline Abela and Neil Paris will address...Read More

CPD credits by province

Joint ownership is frequently used in estate planning as a strategy to minimize probate fees and simplify estate administration. However, joint ownership may not be useful in all circumstances and decisions on such transfers should not be made lightly. This highly practical, 90 minute webinar with leading estates and trusts lawyer Jordan Atin will review the contexts in which joint ownership may be appropriate, factors to consider before recommending using joint ownership to clients as an estate planning tool, and unintended consequences of using joint ownership during and after the original owner’s life. Among the topics Jordan will address are...Read More

CPD credits by province

Do you struggle to begin a project? Do you find yourself easily distracted by other tasks that steer you away from what you really need to accomplish? Are you always rushing to be somewhere or get something done? Stop procrastinating - now! Delaying work can be a form of self-sabotage, decreasing productivity and resulting in costly and embarrassing errors. This convenient, 90-minute webinar with leading legal productivity expert Irwin Karp will help you kick the procrastination habit with proven techniques to complete your work with more control and less crisis management. By the end of the program you will...Read More

CPD credits by province

You've spent years honing your skills to become a great lawyer but building a successful practice also includes planning for your own taxes. Make tax-time a little easier this year with this highly practical webinar designed for solo lawyers and small law firms. Greg London, CPA, CA and Partner, Canadian Tax with BDO will review important tax planning considerations for lawyers who have incorporated and for those who file personally. You'll learn about tax credits, filings, making instalments, income splitting, recent government updates, and what Greg is seeing from the Canada Revenue Agency in practice. Along the way Greg will clear up deduction grey areas, dispel common myths, and...Read More

CPD credits by province

Have you incorporated unbundled legal services or legal coaching into your practice yet? Attend this program and learn how doing things differently can help you do more - to improve access to justice, reduce family conflicts, enhance your career satisfaction, and grow your client base. A promising solution to the growing number of self-represented litigants in family court, unbundled legal services and legal coaching - also known as limited scope retainers - allow lawyers to assist litigants with parts of a case, based on the client’s needs and budget, instead of handling the entire case. Clients have more options for affordable legal services and lawyers attract new clients unable to afford full representation. So, what are the opportunities and challenges of limited scope retainers in family law cases? And how do you competently and effectively integrate different ways of providing legal services into your family law practice? Join us...Read More