Canadian Lawyer

22 N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 w w w . c a n a d i a n l a w y e r m a g . c o m P eter Harte left his stable Ontario practice and moved north; way north. After his two-year sojourn working as a criminal lawyer in Nunavut came to an end, he and his wife, family lawyer Karen Wilford, went back to Midland, Ont. to sell their house. They then moved their family to Yellowknife, where they've spent the past 11 years and where they plan to remain until retirement. Distant from friends and family deep in Canada's North, they are experiencing an entirely different life from what they had enjoyed in Central Ontario. And with only four other criminal lawyers in the area, the pace of work can be challeng- ing — Harte carries a regular caseload, which currently includes four homicides and rotations in bail court, where he inevitably ends up with more clients. He also travels with the circuit court. But Harte figures he has reaped the benefits that have provided their two chil- dren a unique life experience. "It's very rewarding and the reward is not just finan- cial. You really feel like you're making a difference." Despite the competition for positions at big city law firms and challenges many law students have in securing articling positions, urban centres continue to beckon. At the same time, access to lawyers in rural and smaller communities continues to be a concern within the profession — an issue exacerbated by the pending retire- ment of baby boomers. But the challenges of leaving the city for greener pastures or, in Harte's case, whiter pastures, are surmountable and filled with rewards, he says. LEAVING THE CITY Rural and smaller communities offer many benefits for lawyers willing to make the leap By Marg. Bruineman L A W O F F I C E M A N A G E M E N T Setting up his criminal practice wasn't particularly daunting. As a sole practitioner who frequently travels across the North with the circuit court, Harte required little more than a laptop with software, internet con- nection and office space. His only employee is a part-time bookkeeper. But had he not had years of experience working as a lawyer previously, Harte figures it could have been a stressful time. As it was, he readjusted his approach after the law society indicated he should use cheques and maintain a paper record instead of returning unused trust funds electronically. He also now keeps a separate trust ledger instead of relying upon a single record for all his trust funds. Although Aaron Grinhaus chose to set up his practice right in Toronto, he faced similar challenges. He had carefully plotted his approach, saving $15,000 to get himself started and allowing time to build his busi- ness. He was able to get a $10,000 unsecured line of credit, which he never used. Instead of advertising, he built a referral network and met with individuals over lunches and din- ners, building a practice that now includes five lawyers. Just the same, Grinhaus found that settling into a practice — generating the business, practising law and following the professional regulations — can prove overwhelming. "I had a lot of trouble figuring the ins and outs of the SÉBASTIAN THIBAULT

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