What does it mean to retain a lawyer? What is a Retainer Agreement?

• A Retainer Agreement is a documents that lawyers are required to make when representing a client. Retainer Agreements are essential to the lawyer-client relationship to delineate the terms under which you hire a lawyer. Having a clear understanding of what you may or may not expect from a lawyer helps avoiding disputes later. For this reason, it is important that you understand the Retainer before you sign it. Never hesitate to ask questions to your lawyer when you need clarification over the meaning of a Retainer Agreement.

  For more information, please consult the Law Society Of Ontario’s guide to Retainer Agreements.

What are the advantages of retaining a sole practitioner instead of going to a bigger law firm?

• Sole-practitioner firms are firms led by one lawyer. This means that the firm may accept a fewer number of clients. At the same time, this allows for a client-focused and tailored approach to each case. While having a sole practitioner representing you allows the lawyer to get to know you on a personal level, it also means that the lawyer is under a considerable amount of demands as everything falls on their shoulders. The trade-off of having a sole practitioner knowing the ins-and-outs of your case is accepting that your lawyer may not be available at all times to answer your questions. For this reason, it is always encouraged to book appointments ahead of time.

Do you accept Legal Aid?

• At Pasha Law, we are committed to access to justice and we accept Legal Aid Certificates. If you don’t have a Legal Aid Certificate, visit this page to find out if you are eligible for one.

What can I expect from my first appointment?

• When you book your first appointment, the lawyer will get to know your case and give you an overview of your options. After understanding each others’ expectations, you will be given the option to retain the lawyer. All consultations can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes.