The old saying goes that the best things in life are free. But when it comes to your legal research, the best thing is building your case free of errors. And that kind of free is actually going to cost you — but the alternative may cost you your case.
Free legal research tools have limitations that can put your case at risk of missing or incomplete information. You also risk working extra-long hours triple checking each citation and manually diving beyond the basic text of the law. But that's the old way of working. There's no reason for that if you have a proper research plan combined with the right tools.
And while the right legal research tools may take a little investment on your part, the peace of mind and quality of work will be well worthwhile in the end.
Here are just a few of the advantages of westlaw Canada compared to a free alternative.
The importance of accuracy
When it comes to practicing law, there isn't room for mistakes. Errors and oversights won't be tolerated by judges or clients. But that's easier said than done given that the law is changing all the time.
New laws are passed and old laws are amended every year — not to mention that judges are continually issuing new rulings. These constant changes make the accuracy of your legal research even more vital — and more difficult to nail down. You need to be on top of the changes and confident in your matter. And you can do that with westlaw Canada.
For example, when it comes to changes in statutory language, your legal research should include an understanding of all statutory versions and how the changes have played out historically. westlaw Canada makes this part much easier by blending legislation — putting everything you need to know in one location and saving you time from having to read and understand the individual statutory versions.
KeyCite Canada is another effective way of ensuring accuracy in your case citations. You can instantly see whether a case, decision, statute or regulation is good law, and find the citing references to support your legal argument.
It's tools like these that should assure you that your argument is using the strongest legal materials to build your case — providing you, your client, and your judge the accuracy needed to forge ahead.
Legal technology with a greater breadth & depth of knowledge
It seems simple: to practice law, you need to understand the law. But understanding includes a fully comprehensive view on the why, when, where, if, and how the law functions. The magnitude of that alone could cause the well-known brain block of, but where do I begin?
The secondary sources on westlaw Canada provide this vital legal resource, helping with guidance and analysis in every area of the law. Whether you're looking to quickly get up to speed in a new area of the law, or stay up to date on developments in a familiar practice area, secondary sources help you start strong and finish faster.
Expertise you can trust
When conducting a free online search for supporting materials, you don't have time to sift through every case in the results list. But that's a hard fight to win when you want to be sure your client and your case get the best, most robust support. You can't leave any stone unturned.
Now, instead of reading through every search result, you can count on westlaw Canada.
One such example of this is in the headnotes.
While researching other cases in support of your own argument, you need to quickly identify:
- Is this relevant to my current legal issue?
- What do I need to understand about this case and its outcome?
In westlaw headnotes, attorney editors have gone through and done the bulk of the work for you. They've identified the important issues of a law in a case, and then they've included a short summary of the facts, holdings, and reasoning being applied. You can quickly scan and find those cases that match the facts and desired outcomes most relevant to your specific issue.
Rely on westlaw Canada
When it comes to legal research, it's well worth the investment to ensure that you are equipped with the most up-to-date, accurate, expert tool on the market. With westlaw Canada, you can gain valuable guidance and insight from the most knowledgeable legal minds in every area of the law. Contact us to learn more or start a free trial today.