ACCOUNTS

If you have questions about your accounts, (either regarding fees or disbursements) please direct all inquiries first to Marilyn who is available to assist you.

The more work you do for yourself, the less work you will need done by the lawyer. If you can save time for the lawyer, it may save you money in fees.

Anytime you are giving our office a collection of documents (court documents or financial documents, for example) it is in your financial interest to put those documents in chronological order first, and to prepare an index or list of the material you are giving us. If you do this, it will reduce the work needed by us to organize the material. It is the first thing we will do when we receive the documents.

Come to your meetings and any telephone calls with our office prepared, possibly with a list of questions or subject areas you need to have covered. <To Top>

WHAT IS THE LAWYER'S JOB

Our office will help you by providing leadership to you in a difficult time. This leadership means providing direction to you, to help you to identify and eliminate the risks and dangers in your situation, as well as to help you understand your options and opportunities. It means working with you to design a plan to help you make progress and achieve success in the areas of your life where you are looking for legal advice. You will be the one to make the decisions. One of the goals of this leadership is to help you experience ever-increasing confidence and independence, so you can look more optimistically at the path that you will take through personal difficulties to a more positive future.

We will keep you informed about matters as they arise and discuss with you any significant decisions that you are required to make. We will provide you with our best legal advice, but ultimately you will make the final decisions and provide us with instructions. <To Top>

THE CONDUCT OF YOUR CASE

Most of our clients do not want their case to go to court. Most would like to negotiate a settlement. That is not always possible. It is not in your interest to negotiate on an open-ended basis, as that does not always accomplish a cost-efficient resolution. Some long negotiations end up costing more than it would've cost to simply start the court case. If no progress is being made (and particularly if we have not received the other side's financial disclosure) we will start a court case. This is a tactical decision (when to start the court case) and it is a decision that the lawyers make. We will also decide, in consultation with you, which lawyer attends court. <To Top>

FILE TRANSFERS

If you are transferring your file to us from another lawyer, it will be necessary for us to review the correspondence and documentation provided and ensure that it is complete and organized. You will be billed for this time spent, and for any time spent organizing the material received. You can minimize this expense by making sure that the material from your previous lawyer is put in chronological order.

If you are transferring your file to another lawyer from us, you need to remember that you will have already been sent copies of all letters and court documents during our work for you. You should keep them organized, as this may make such a transfer to another lawyer quicker and cheaper. If you have not kept the copies we sent you, we will provide copies of the correspondence between solicitors and copies of any court documents (again), and as well, the originals of any of your personal documentation. You will be billed for the time involved in preparing the file for transfer. If we have to make additional paper copies of material we have already sent you, you will be billed for that, as well. <To Top>

CONFIDENTIALITY

All information you provide to our office is completely private and confidential. All the details of your case will be handled with the utmost confidentiality and respect for your privacy. The privilege of confidentiality between solicitor and client is, in law, a protection which belongs to the client. Therefore, it is up to the client, only, whether or not that confidentiality is to be waived.

Please remember this when your family members or friends request information directly from your lawyer. We are frequently contacted by new partners, or other family members who want to discuss your case. You have to give your lawyer specific instructions to permit that discussion to take place. Also, as the time spent by your lawyer will be time spent on your file, you will be billed for any time spent discussing your case with anyone at your request, or in the context of your file. <To Top>

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