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Trustee Services and the Unclaimed Trust Fund

If you are looking for information or documentation from the files of a lawyer or licensed paralegal who is no longer practising, Trustee Services may be able to help you.

Trustee Services maintains records of the location of files from the practices of lawyers or licensed paralegals who have retired, abandoned their practices, been suspended, had their licences revoked or have otherwise ceased operations. 

In some cases, Trustee Services will take possession of the practice of a lawyer or licensed paralegal who has ceased to practise in order to ensure an orderly transition of the practice for clients.

Please contact the Client Service Centre for more information. 

Unclaimed Trust Fund 

With the approval of the Law Society, lawyers and paralegals can transfer to the Law Society money that they have held in trust for a client which has been unclaimed for a period of at least two years. To apply, use the Licensee Application Form (PDF – June 2018) or Licensee Application Form (MS Word – June 2018).

The Law Society holds the money for the purposes of returning it to those who are entitled to receive it.  If you believe that you are entitled to the return of trust money, please complete the Claimant’s Application Form. For more information please contact the Unclaimed Trust Fund at 416-947-3312 or toll-free 1-800-668-7380 ext. 3312, or by email on unclaimedTrust@lso.ca

Frequently Asked Questions about the Unclaimed Trust Fund

  • What are trust monies?
    Money paid to lawyers and licensed paralegals is usually held in their trust accounts and is therefore referred to, for the purposes of the Unclaimed Trust Fund, as "trust monies".
  • How do I make a claim?

    All claimants must complete a Claimant's Application Form for consideration by the Law Society.

    You will be asked to provide, among other things, a copy of photo identification, your contact information, the name of the lawyer or licensed paralegal to whom the money was paid, the amount of money paid and the amount claimed.

  • How do I know if I should make a claim?

    If you have paid money to a lawyer or licensed paralegal and the lawyer or paralegal, after completing his or her work for you, was unable to locate you to return any balance of the monies, those monies may have been paid to the Law Society's Unclaimed Trust Fund.

    Each year, the Law Society publishes the name of each person entitled to the money that, during the previous year, was transferred to the Society by a lawyer or licensed paralegal.

  • What happens after I make a claim?
    The Law Society will review your application and contact you regarding the status of your claim.
  • Am I entitled to interest?
    No. Payments are limited to the amount paid to the Society by the lawyer or paralegal on behalf of the person entitled.
  • I would like to make a claim but I have some questions. Who do I contact for more information?
    Please contact the Unclaimed Trust Fund Program at 416-947-3312 or toll free 1-800-668-7380 ext. 3312.