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Working remotely

These resources identify and discuss some of the key technology considerations for lawyers and paralegals who work remotely, employ a remote workforce, and/or provide remote legal services. Resources are grouped by topic and type.

Topics

Virtual or remote offices
Virtual verification
Virtual meetings
Remote commissioning and notarization
Electronic signatures

Virtual or remote offices

Start by reviewing the Law Society of Ontario’s guidance on this topic:

Guides (1)
- Working together, remotely – Managing and leading through COVID-19 and beyond (practicePRO®)
Articles (7)
- How to set up a cyber secure home office (Government of Canada)
- Security tips for organizations with remote workers (Canadian Centre for Cyber Security)
- Three ways to stay cyber secure (while working from home) (Government of Canada)
- Work from home technology tips (practicePRO®)
- Using virtual desktop at-home and in-office (Canadian Centre for Cyber Security)
- Privacy fact sheet: Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic (Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario)
- Practicing Remotely (Lawyers' Insurance Association of Nova Scotia)
Practice notes (2)
- Practicing remotely (Lawyers' Insurance Association fo Nova Scotia)
- Protecting client confidentiality and data security while working remotely (Law Society of Alberta)
Checklists (1)
- Your checklist for remote practice (Ontario Bar Association)
Books* (1)
- The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together, Work from Home Edition (Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell)
*Note, book links are to the Infolocate library catalogue, which contains information about the book and its library location(s). Books may be accessed by visiting the location(s) in-person.

Virtual verification

Start by reviewing the Law Society of Ontario’s guidance on this topic:

Virtual verification with authentication method (Practice Note and FAQ)
Examples of government-issued photo identification (Tool)
How to virtually verify your clients identity (Tool)
Client identification and verification flowchart (Tool)
Steps to verify identity (Tool)
In-person vs virtual verification of identity (Tool)

Articles (3)
- How do I verify the identity of a person? (FINTRAC)
- What’s wrong with this picture? Be on alert for fake IDs issued by different authorities or different times with identical photos (AvoidAClaim)
- Fake IDs, Documents and Cheques (AvoidAClaim)
Tools (2)
- Driver’s Licence Check (Ontario Government)
- Virtual identity verification (IDV) service provider chart (practicePRO®)*

Virtual meetings

Start by reviewing the Law Society of Ontario’s guidance on this topic:

Virtual meetings (Practice Note)

Articles (3)
- Practicing Law from a Safe Distance Using Microsoft Teams (American Bar Association)*
- The rise of Microsoft Teams: opportunities and best practices (Thomson Reuters)*
- Ten tips for effective video conferencing (practicePRO®)
Practice notes (1)
- A Lawyer’s Guide to Video Conferencing (Law Society of Alberta)
Checklists (1)
- Video Conferencing Checklist (practicePRO®)

Remote commissioning and notarization

Start by reviewing the Law Society of Ontario’s guidance on this topic:

Best practices for remote commissioning (Guide)
Remote commissioning (Practice Note)
Remote commissioning checklist (Checklist)
Notary public (Practice Note)

Guides (1)
- Guide for newly appointed commissioners for taking affidavits in Ontario (Ministry of Attorney General)

Electronic signatures

Start by reviewing the Law Society of Ontario’s guidance on this topic:

Articles (4)
- Understanding e-signatures (AvoidAClaim)
- Electronic Court Documents: Electronic Signatures and Submissions through Online Filing Portals (Ministry of the Attorney General)
- Electronic Signatures in Ontario Law (University of Toronto Law Journal)
- Electronic signatures still not an option for wills in Ontario (Hull & Hull LLP)*

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