New Compliance Rules for Ontario Law Firms — And How Trellis CRM Can Help

In 2025, the Law Society of Ontario introduced a pivotal requirement for all lawyers in private practice: Client Contingency Planning. This regulation mandates that firms must have a documented plan to protect client matters in the event a lawyer becomes suddenly unavailable — due to illness, death, or other unforeseen circumstances.

For sole practitioners and small to medium-sized firms, this isn’t just a paperwork exercise. It’s a strategic shift in how legal services are safeguarded and delivered. And it’s exactly the kind of challenge that a smart, adaptive CRM like Trellis is built to solve.

What’s Changing — And Why It Matters

• Mandatory planning: Firms must confirm they have a contingency plan in place in their 2025 Annual Report.
• Sole practitioners: Must designate an administrator and maintain a written plan.
• Firm-wide accountability: Partners and associates must ensure their firm has a system to manage lawyer unavailability.

This isn’t just about compliance — it’s about continuity, trust, and client protection.

How Trellis CRM Supports Compliance and Continuity

1. Automated Reminders and Compliance Tracking Trellis can be configured to:

• Send proactive alerts for regulatory deadlines (e.g., Annual Report submissions)
• Track completion of contingency planning tasks across the firm
• Notify stakeholders when updates or confirmations are due

2. Dynamic Document Management Using integrated workflows, Trellis can:

• Generate customizable contingency plan templates
• Route documents for review, approval, and digital signature
• Store version-controlled plans linked to individual lawyers or departments

3. Regulatory Intelligence and Change Monitoring With built-in connectors and automation capabilities, Trellis can:

• Monitor updates from regulatory bodies like the Law Society of Ontario
• Flag new requirements and initiate internal workflows to address them
• Assign tasks and track progress toward compliance goals

4. Role-Based Access and Delegation Trellis supports granular permissions, allowing:

• Sole practitioners to designate backup administrators
• Firms to assign contingency roles and responsibilities
• Secure sharing of sensitive plans with designated personnel

Powering Strategic Resilience

Behind the scenes, Trellis leverages a robust platform that enables:

• Low-code customization — tailor workflows and dashboards without heavy IT lift
• AI-driven insights — identify gaps in planning or risk exposure
• Cross-platform integration — sync with calendars, email, and document systems

This means law firms aren’t just reacting to compliance — they’re building resilient, scalable systems that protect clients and empower teams.

The Bigger Picture

Client Contingency Planning is just one example of how regulatory shifts can impact legal operations. Trellis CRM helps firms stay ahead of the curve — not just by tracking rules, but by embedding compliance into daily workflows, automating documentation, and ensuring accountability across the board.

Whether you’re a solo practitioner or managing a growing team, Trellis turns regulatory challenges into opportunities for smarter, more secure practice management.