Law Times

PAGE 4 NEWS BestCase service launches BY ROBERT TODD Law Times L egal researchers have a new option when it comes to case law research, with Canada Law Book last week unveiling its new BestCase service that the company says will "provide serious competition to the other services cur- rently available." "I think the value lays primarily in our law report collection, because they're so highly regarded," says Ruth Epstein, vice president of Canada Law Book. "We've added in a comprehensive collection of unreported decisions in order to provide a complete case law research service for the convenience of researchers." As of March 31, the company's law re- ports, case summaries, and unreported de- cisions were made available exclusively on the new online service, except Canadian Patent Reporter. The move follows failed negotiations between the company and LexisNexis Quicklaw to keep the material on that service. Some of the company's best-known of- ferings, such as Canadian Criminal Cases, Dominion Law Reports, and Labour Arbi- tration Cases, and a collection of unreported decisions dating back to 1971, will all be found on the service. Many of the histori- cal offerings on BestCase may be difficult to find elsewhere, says Epstein. She says one of the most enticing features of BestCase is the availability of PDF im- ages of pages from Canada Law Book's law reports. That will let researchers skip the cumbersome step of photocopying bound volumes to ensure material appears exactly as it did in the law reports, in order to submit a copy to a court or board. Epstein says the service will likely be ex- panded to offer more to users. She notes that while it would typically take up to one year to create such a service, CLB had it up and running within four months in order to meet the March 31 deadline. Most of the major law firms and many CROLL_Key Developments in Estates and Trusts 4/3/08 9:15 AM Page 1 government departments are currently using BestCase on a free-trial basis. Epstein says CLB welcomes feedback when considering enhancements to the service. BestCase includes All-Canada Weekly Summaries (1976 to present), Canadian Criminal Cases (1898 to present), Cana- dian Labour Arbitration Summaries (1986 to present), Dominion Law Reports (1912 to present), Labour Arbitration Cases (1948 to present), Land Compensation Reports (1971 to present), Ontario Municipal Board Reports (1972 to present), and Weekly Criminal Bulletin (1977 to present), to name a few. Images of original judgments also are available, appearing just as they did when released by courts, including official stamps and signatures. The cost of the service starts at $750 per annum, for a sole practitioner. Information is available online at www.canadalawbook.ca. Canada Law Book was established in1855 and has gained a reputation for its editorial standards and a stable of authors considered to be among some of the country's most ac- complished legal scholars. Epstein says BestCase is an important ini- tiative as the company moves forward in the legal publishing market. "It's a significant change in the legal com- munity, because it introduces another case law research option," she says. "We think BestCase, which is elegant and easy to use, will be very appealing to lawyers." LT APRIL 7, 2008 / LAW TIMES Net income up in 2007 BY ROBERT TODD Law Times L awPro's net income in 2007 rose to $17.6 mil- lion from $9.4 million in 2006, while net premiums earned were up $9.8 million to $91.9 million, says a report released to the Law Society of Upper Canada's Convocation. "The financial situation for the combined errors and omis- sions fund and LawPro is sig- nificantly improved in 2007 as opposed to 2006," said Bench- er Beth Symes, chairwoman of the law society's audit commit- tee. "Revenues were up sig- nificantly from the previous year and profit was up corre- spondingly. Financially it was a good year for the fund." LawPro, which looks af- ter the law society's errors and omissions insurance fund un- der a management services agreement with LSUC, on March 27 unveiled the audited combined financial statements for the E&O fund for the year ending Dec. 31, 2007, which were approved by benchers. LawPro's own financial state- ments also were revealed, but only for information purposes. The report said LawPro's investment income for 2007 increased $7.2 million from 2006 to $25.9 million. It noted the errors and omissions insurance fund's assets "are sufficient to dis- charge claim liabilities at Dec. 31, 2007." The fund's invest- ment assets were reported to total $467.1 million. An extra $3.25 million Key Developments in Estates and Trusts Law in Ontario, 2008 Edition Madam Justice Bonnie Croll and Melanie Yach With contributions by: Jeanne Chiang, Susan Easterbrook, Lou-Anne Farrell, Paul Gibney, Robin Goodman, Heather Hansen, Ian Hull, P. Ann Lalonde, Jonathan Lancaster, Martha McCarthy, Margaret O'Sullivan, Suzana Popovic-Montag, Archie Rabinowitz, Susan Slattery, Kristina Soutar, M. Jasmine Sweatman, Corina Weigl and Kimberly Whaley Published annually, this book brings together a team of leading practitioners who together provide expert insight into the latest noteworthy developments in estates and trusts law. Find out how these key developments will affect your practice and your clients, now and in the future. Articles include: • View from the Bench by Madam Justice Bonnie Croll • Personal Trusts by Susan Slattery • Taxation of Trusts and Estates by Paul Gibney, Kristina Soutar and Jeanne Chiang • Insurance, RRSPs and RRIFs by Robin Goodman • Powers of Attorney by M. Jasmine Sweatman • Family Law Issues in Estate Litigation by Martha McCarthy and Heather Hansen • Cross-Border and Multijurisdictional Issues by Margaret O'Sullivan • Passing of Accounts, Including Contested Passings by Kimberly Whaley Key Developments in Estates and Trusts Law in Ontario, 2008 Edition – helping you to stay abreast of key statutory and case law developments in estates and trusts law in Ontario Hardbound • Approx. 210 pp. • May 2008 • Standing order $105 • P/C 0241140000 Current edition only $115 • P/C 0241010000 • ISBN 978-0-88804-470-9 For a 30-day, no-risk evaluation call: 1 800 263 2037 or 1 800 263 3269 www.canadalawbook.ca Canada Law Book is A Division of The Cartwright Group Ltd. • Free Shipping on pre-paid orders. Prices subject to change without notice, and to applicable taxes. LT040708 www.lawtimesnews.com • Limitations in Estate Cases by Lou-Anne Farrell • Dependants' Support Claims by Corina Weigl and Jonathan Lancaster • Will Challenges by Ian Hull and Suzana Popovic-Montag • Claims By or Against an Estate by Melanie Yach • Variations of Trusts by P. Ann Lalonde • Costs in Estate Litigation by Susan Easterbrook • Solicitor's Liability by Archie Rabinowitz in interest was earned on the E&O fund, which was trans- ferred to the law society's gen- eral fund, the report stated. A 1.5 per cent increase in the number of lawyers covered under the Ontario Mandatory Professional Liability Program led to a $100 drop in 2007 in the base annual premium per lawyer, which stood at $2,600. A nine-per-cent rise was re- ported in the number of claims on the Ontario mandatory er- rors and omissions insurance program in 2007 from the year before, the highest since 1994, and the number of open claims stood at 2,934. Symes said the number of lawyers insured under LawPro increased "significantly" from 2001 to 2007, but the number of open claims "remained flat." ". . . Mathematically that doesn't make much sense. The number of lawyers who are being insured increases sig- nificantly, as more people are called to the bar. Why did the number of open claims remain relatively flat?" Lawyers benefited, but "our good fortune appears to be end- ing. In 2007, for the first time in a number of years, the number of claims did in fact increase. So, the question really is, is this a one-year phenomena, or is this something that we need to keep a close watch on?" LT

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