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Part-Time Practice

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LAWPRO recognizes that some lawyers may not wish to practice full time, and that working reduced annual hours correspondingly lowers the risk of a claim. Accordingly, there is a Part-Time Practice option on your LAWPRO policy.

This option is available to practitioners who in both their current and prior fiscal year restrict their law practice to 20 hours per week on average for each week actually worked up to 750 hours per year (including time for undocketed work), and have gross billings of $90,000 per year or less.

Lawyers who qualify are eligible for a discount equal to 50% of the base premium.

Conditions of the Part-Time Practice option

1. The lawyer cannot have had a claim with a repair and/or an indemnity payment made in the last five years.

2. For in-house corporate counsel, hours of professional time and gross billings does not include work for your employer, only services to third parties.

3. Lawyers who have been provided with the Part-Time Practice option but subsequently exceed the eligibility criteria will lose the Part-Time Practice designation and will have their insurance premium and other terms of insurance amended retroactively to the inception date of the policy.

4. When applying for this option, lawyers are not required to consider hours of professional time spent on providing pro bono services (through a LAWPRO approved pro bono program) or claims relating solely to these approved pro bono services.

5. Professional time includes all time devoted by the lawyer to the practice of law in Ontario and other provinces of Canada (other than Quebec, unless practising Ontario law), including time spent, for example:

  • in private practice;
  • attending to office administration;
  • pro bono services not associated with Pro Bono Ontario;
  • attending legal education programs during business hours;
  • on board related activities, if acting as a lawyer; and
  • travelling in your capacity as a lawyer.

Professional time does not include time spent on continuing education courses or as a board director, or time devoted to business development or social time with clients.

To apply for this coverage complete the Part-time Practice Declaration on your application.

Note that the maximum premium discount for the Restricted Area of Practice, Part-Time Practice options and the New Lawyer discount combined cannot exceed 50% of the base premium.


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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