New lawyer discount
I practised overseas for 5 years prior to my Ontario call. Am I entitled to claim the new lawyer discount?
No, you don’t meet the eligibility criteria. When calculating the years in practice include all years practising law, whether in Ontario or elsewhere, in private practice, as in-house counsel or as an employed lawyer working in government, education or in some other capacity.
I was called to the Ontario Bar this summer and am entitled to the 50% premium discount for new lawyers. When I renew my insurance for next year, I will still have been practising less than one full year. What new lawyer discount will I be entitled to?
Even though you will renew your insurance in the fall of this year, the effective date of the renewal is January 1. If, as of January 1, you will have practised less than 200 calendar days this year, you would again be eligible for a premium discount of 50% on the base premium
I have only practised a total of 9 months since my date of Call. I was entitled to the 50% rate new lawyer discount when I applied for insurance last year and also when I renewed my coverage for this year. Will I still be eligible for the 50% rate new lawyer discount when I renew for next year, since I still will have less than 1 year of actual practice experience?
The same discount rate options cannot be repeated for more than two policy years. As such, for next year’s insurance, since you will received the 50% discount for both last year and this year, you would will be entitled to a 40% discount on the base premium.
I was called to the Ontario bar in September of last year and was employed full-time as in-house counsel. I left that position in June of this year, and entered private practice. In completing my application for coverage, how many years in practice should I indicate on the application form?
When considering years in practice, include all the time spent in private or public practice and as in-house counsel in your calculation. As you had less than one year of practise last year (given the timing of your call) and you were practising in-house and then in private practise for more than 200 days this year, you would indicate 1 full year in practice to date.
I practiced less than 200 days last year, so I indicated zero full years in practice on my renewal for this year’s insurance. I have since gone on exemption in April of this year and I am returning to practice now, in August. I have practiced over 200 days in total, when you consider both years combined, but less than 200 days in either year. How many full years in practice should I indicate on my application today, as I apply for insurance for the rest of this year?
As you have practised under 200 days last year and under 200 days thus far this year, indicate zero full years in practise again on your new application, as you have not exceeded 200 days in either year. Please note that the maximum number of years you can qualify for the same discount rate is two years.
I was on a temporary leave for all of last year. My number of full years in practice the year before was 2. How many years in practice should I indicate on my application?
If you practised for more than 200 days the year before going on exemption, indicate 3 years on your current application. If you practiced for less than 200 days, indicate 2 years, unless you have already claimed the 2 year discount in two consecutive years prior to last year.
I practice only periodically each year, generally doing 1 or 2 monthly contracts per year and not practising law in between. Since I am only able to claim 50% discount a maximum of two times for each discount level, must I indicate this year that I have 2 full years in practice, when in fact, I haven’t as yet been in practice for a full years’ time?
You cannot claim the same level of discount for more than two years in which you have been practising insured, regardless of the number of days you have been in practice. Depending on the nature of the services you provide and when you provide them, you can see premium savings by either claiming exemption when you are not in private practice, or you may qualify for the part-time practice option.