The Alberta Lawyers Insurance Association manages the Law Society of Alberta’s insurance program for Alberta lawyers. Similar to malpractice insurance, the program provides professional liability insurance to more than 5,000 Alberta lawyers. 

Professional liability insurance ensures lawyers are protected if they are liable for negligence and ensures that clients receive the compensation they are entitled to.

ALIA is a member of the Canadian Lawyers Insurance Association (CLIA) a reciprocal insurance exchange that provides professional liability insurance for all practicing lawyers in nine provinces and territories. 

Through its affiliation with CLIA, ALIA is able to provide lawyers with:

• a reliable and permanent source of insurance;
• stable premiums in the mandatory insurance layer
• reasonably priced and effective excess insurance. CLIA offers excess limits of $1 million to $9 million.

Every Alberta lawyer in private practice must purchase the mandatory insurance coverage. Excess coverage is voluntary. 

To report a claim or potential claim 

To report a claim, please use the reporting guidelines for claimants and lawyers. Lawyers may also email claim reports to ALIA; or fax reports to (403) 244-3072, attention Lisa M. Sabo, Director of Insurance.

ALIA staff is available to lawyers who would like to speak with someone about a claim or potential claim that has not yet been reported. 

For Lawyers

Lawyers are required to report a claim to ALIA as soon as possible after learning of a claim or becoming aware of circumstances that might give rise to a claim. The policy is a ‘claims made’ policy. This means that lawyers must report all claims or potential claims during the policy period.

Once a claim is reported, an ALIA examiner will be assigned to manage it. Should a claim proceed to litigation, ALIA retains defense counsel to defend the insured lawyer.

For the public

To make a claim, the claimant may write a letter to ALIA including the following:

• Name of lawyer and law firm
• Lawyer's file number (if known)
• The legal service (i.e. sale of house, divorce, injury claim)
• Date of service
• What the lawyer did wrong
• How the lawyer’s actions resulted in financial loss
• Documentation and explanation of financial loss
• Claimant’s address and daytime phone number
  Or
• Commence a lawsuit against the lawyer(s).

Notifying ALIA of a claim does not stop or extend the deadline by which the claimant must start a lawsuit to keep the claim alive. The Alberta Limitation Act governs limitation dates. Depending on the circumstances, the deadline may be as little as two years from when the lawyer did the legal work.

ALIA cannot give you legal advice.  ALIA recommends the claimant hire a lawyer to represent them in presenting the claim.
 
If ALIA receives a letter from a claimant, the claim will be investigated. This will take a minimum of several weeks.  ALIA or their insurance defence counsel will then contact you or your new lawyer.
  
If you start a lawsuit, counsel will represent the lawyer(s) and defend the lawsuit.  There may also be settlement negotiations.
  
The personal information collected from you will be used by ALIA for one or more purposes contemplated by the Legal Profession Act, the Rules of the Law Society, the Code of Professional Conduct, or a resolution of the benchers and will be accessible to all departments of LSA. The information may be used or disclosed by ALIA, now or in the future, for regulatory purposes including LSA investigations and proceedings. ALIA may contact you to obtain additional information, or to obtain clarification on the information provided. Should you have any questions about the collection, use or disclosure of this information, please contact Veronica D’Souza: (403) 229-4719.

Use the contacts listed below to help with your insurance questions.

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