Poor communication is a common thread that runs through numerous complaints the Law Society receives about lawyers.  This course describes common problem areas and provides examples of how communication can be improved.  The Law Society views effective communication skills as critical to lawyer professionalism and considers effective communication to have a direct bearing on the quality of service lawyers provide to their clients.

 

Lawyers who maintain a professional standard of communication:

 

This course is intended to assist lawyers in communicating to the standard that is expected of them.

 

CAUTION:  This course provides information and best practices from the perspective of the Law Society as the regulator of professionals practising law in New Brunswick.  Remember that courts and tribunals govern their own processes, and you might be held to a different standard in discharging your obligations in those settings.

 

While this course contains some examples of situations where competing standards might exist, it does not advise how those situations should be resolved and lawyers must understand and consider the standards expected of them in various situations. If you are not sure about your obligations, discuss them with a colleague, or with someone at the Law Society.  Do not assume that in complying with the standard set by the Law Society you will necessarily have met the standard expected of you by a court or tribunal.