Administrative Suspension and Reinstatement for Lawyers

Administrative Suspension

In order to maintain membership in good standing with the Law Society, all lawyers must comply with annual administrative obligations including:

In addition, lawyers who practise as an Affiliation or Multi-Discipline Practice must comply with the following administrative obligation(s):

The Process

Following the due date, lawyers are reminded in writing that they are in default of their administrative obligation and provided with notice prior to referral for formal suspension. Once referred for suspension, a person/bencher appointed under s.46(1) and/or s.47(1) and/or s.47.1(1) of the Law Society Act will authorize a summary suspension.Lawyers who are included in the Summary Order will be mailed a Notice of Suspension allowing them five business days to comply with the Order prior to the effective date of suspension.

• Lawyers whose licence is suspended must immediately cease to practise law.
• The names of suspended lawyers will be published in the Notices to the Profession and the Courts, Legal Aid Ontario and Teranet will be notified.
• Suspended lawyers who were practising prior to suspension will be contacted by the Law Society to ensure their practice has been properly closed.
• Suspended lawyers may not be employed by a lawyer or paralegal in good standing without prior permission from the Law Society see Rule 6.07.
• If an administrative Summary Suspension Order remains outstanding for 12 months, an Order may be made summarily revoking the lawyer's licence.

Reinstatement

Lawyers who are administratively suspended for failure to pay Law Society licence fees must meet the following requirements prior to reinstatement of status by the Law Society.

• Pay all outstanding Law Society Annual licence fees plus a reinstatement fee of $150.00 plus applicable taxes.

For Law Society Annual Fees contact the Client Service Centre by calling the Resource Centre at (416) 947-3315 (toll free 1-800-668-7380 ext 3315) and ask to be transferred, or e-mail Client Service Centre using the Contact page.

Lawyers who are administratively suspended for failure to pay LawPRO levies or to submit LawPRO filings must meet the following requirements prior to reinstatement of status by the Law Society.

• Pay all outstanding LawPRO Premium Insurance Levies plus a reinstatement fee of $150.00 plus applicable taxes.
• Pay all outstanding LawPRO Real Estate and / or Civil Litigation Transaction Surcharge Levies plus a reinstatement fee $150.00 plus applicable taxes.
• File all outstanding LawPRO Real Estate and / or Civil Litigation Transaction Reports.

For LawPRO insurance levies and filings, contact the Lawyer's Professional Indemnity Company by calling the Customer Service Department at (416) 598-5899 (toll-free) 1-800-410-1013).

Lawyers who are administratively suspended for failure to meet Law Society annual filing obligations must meet the following requirements prior to reinstatement of status by the Law Society.

• File all outstanding Lawyer Annual Reports.
• File all outstanding Multi-Discipline Practice Annual Reports.
• File all outstanding Affiliation Annual Reports.

For Lawyer Annual Report filings contact By-Law Administration Services (BAS), for Multi-Discipline Practice and Affiliation Annual Report filings, contact the Administrative Compliance (AC) department by calling the Resource Centre at (416) 947-3315 (toll free 1-800-668-7380 ext 3315) and ask to be transferred, or e-mail BAS or AC using the Contact page.

Note: Where a lawyer is the subject of a Discipline suspension, the terms of the Discipline Order must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of the Law Society before that lawyer can be reinstated.