30 Tips in 20 Minutes:How family law lawyers and clients can avoid social media dangers

Dan Pinnington

Vice President Claims Prevention

& Stakeholder Relations

LAWPRO7th Annual Family Law Summit

The main options

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Most of my comments today apply to everyone that touches a case

There are no secrets

on social media

You can’t be

anonymous

on the web

Always

use your

own name

Give clients

the “Miranda

social media

warning”

Friends means friends forever…

…or at least friends of friends forever

Social media can prove

very interesting things

Be aware of your

electronic evidence

and e‐discovery

obligations

Don’t use social networking tools for lawyer/client communications

Don’t talk about clients or their matters on social media

You will be judged by your connections

Reject/ignore requests from people you don’t know, like or respect

Family law lawyers shouldn’t be

friends with their clients on Facebook

Family law lawyers

shouldn’t be friends

with judges on

social media

Beware the

optics of

friends and

connections

Avoid conflicts

of interest

Commercial entities or members of the other oldest profession

Watch for "spam" friends/connections

Try to keep your personal and professional lives separate

Key considerations

• Personal vs. professional

• Individual vs. corporate

• Public vs. private (confidential)

• Friend vs. acquaintance vs. stranger

Social media

can be source

of competitive

intelligence

Send personalized connection requests

Beware of frictionless sharing

Beware of frictionless sharing

Check your privacy, permissions and sharing settings monthly

MyPermissions.org

Be professional

(all the time)

Never post anything that

you wouldn’t

want your client

or mother

to read on the

front page of the Globe and Mail

Always read links

before you repost or retweet them!!!

Know and respect the marketing‐related

Rules of Professional Conduct

Avoid unauthorized

practice of law (UPL)

Don’t give legal advice

(avoid phantom clients)

Be aware of employee social networking

Have a social media policy

Meritas Social Media Guide docs.meritas.org/Resources/SMGuide.pdf

Closing thoughts

• Tread carefully

• Build a presence that fits

• Good content rules

• Don’t take it too seriously

• Don’t over do it

• Be professional all the time!

More on social media

See the materials:•Essential LinkedIn Dos and Don’ts•Essential Twitter Dos and Don’ts

Online:•Social Media issue of LAWPRO Magazine•Books published by ABA Law Practice Management section

– In practicePRO Lending Library

•LifeHacker’s Always Up‐to‐Date Guide to Managing Your Facebook Privacy •Privacy Commissioner’s Handbook to Help Lawyers Apply Privacy Law to Their Practices

Thanks and please connect with LAWPRO!!

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AvoidAClaim blog

Contact info

Dan PinningtonVice President Claims Prevention & Stakeholder Relations,

LAWPRO, Toronto, Ontario(416) 598-5863 or 1-800-410-1013dan.pinnington@lawpro.ca

Web: www.practicepro.ca and www.lawpro.caBlogs: AvoidAClaim.com and SLAW.ca

Connect with me: – Linkedin: Dan Pinnington or LAWPRO

– Twitter: danpinnington or practicePRO or LAWPRO

– Google+: Dan Pinnington