Good to know for regulated professionals
Most people arrive here having never hired a lawyer, with a list of questions they feel awkward asking.
This page answers them in advance — how to get in touch, what happens next, and a few things worth reading while you decide.
Intake & Consultation Steps
Four steps, from your first message to the point where you decide whether to hire us.
1. You get in touch.
Call us, or use the form on this page — whichever is easier. If you call, our office manager will ask you a few questions. It takes about fifteen minutes.
At this stage, we only need the outline, not the whole story: what the issue is, who the other party is, whether you or they belong to a union, and any dates that matter — a deadline, a hearing, a termination date.
2. We book your consultation.
Our office manager works with our lawyers to match you with the right one — based on the kind of matter, your budget, who is available, and any preference you have about who you speak with. Then we arrange a time. If you work shifts, tell us, and we will book around that.
Consultations are $300 for up to 90 minutes, and we take a credit card when we book.
3. We talk.
This is your consultation with your lawyer — by phone, by video, or in person. You tell us what happened, the full story this time, and we ask what we need to ask. If you have documents — an employment contract, a termination letter, correspondence — send them ahead. If you do not have any documents, let us know.
By the end, you'll know what your options are, what we'd recommend, what the work would involve, and what it is likely to cost. You'll also know whether we're the right firm for you.
4. You decide.
Nothing so far has committed you to anything. Take the time you need.
If you'd like to retain us, your lawyer goes through the retainer agreement with you before you sign — every term, for as long as it takes. Sometimes that happens during the consultation. If it takes a separate call, that call is free. We spend our working days making sure people understand what an employer is asking them to sign. Our own agreement gets the same care.
You'll hear exactly how our fees work: what the retainer covers and what it doesn't, what we bill for — including our calls and emails with you, and each draft of a document — what disbursements are, and when we may ask you to add to your retainer.
Once you've signed, we collect the client identification the Law Society of British Columbia requires of every firm, and then we begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting in touch
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Two reasons. Depending on the circumstances, we may not be able to act on some union-related matters, and it's better to know that before you've told us your story than after. And in some situations, information you give us creates obligations we have to consider — including, in certain cases, a duty to inform a union about the issue. Starting with the outline keeps you from telling us more than you need to. Once we've confirmed we can act, we'll want everything.
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Because it can change whether we're able to act, and what obligations we take on when you tell us about your situation. It's the first thing we check, which is why we ask before anything else.
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We'll tell you as soon as we know — usually before a consultation is booked.
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No. Most of the employees we act for aren't. We ask everyone, because the answer matters when a union is involved. When one isn't, it changes nothing.
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It depends on the issue. We act for union members on matters that sit outside the collective agreement — a complaint to your professional college or licensing body, a WorkSafeBC claim, a human rights complaint. We don't act on anything that is the subject of a grievance, or covered by your collective agreement, unless your union supports it. Tell us you're a member when you get in touch, and we'll tell you where your issue falls.
The consultation
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Once we have your outline, our office manager matches you with the right lawyer and arranges the first time that works for you both. If you have a deadline coming up, tell us when you get in touch.
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$300 for up to 90 minutes, by phone, by video, or in person. We take a credit card when we book.
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No. If you have an employment contract, a termination or severance letter, correspondence, or notes with dates, send them ahead. Plenty of people have none of it. Your lawyer will work with what you have.
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You tell us what happened, in full. We ask what we need to ask. By the end, you'll know what we think your options are, what we'd recommend, what the work would involve, and what it would cost. If we don't think we're the right firm for you, we'll say so.
Fees
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No. We rarely find that arrangement serves a client's interests well. We work fee-for-service, and where the work suits it, we offer a fixed fee. We'll explain why in your first conversation.
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Yes. The scope of the work and the likely cost are part of the consultation. Before you sign a retainer agreement, your lawyer goes through it with you — every term, including how our fees work. If that takes a separate call, the call is free.
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A retainer is a deposit against the work. We bill for the time the work takes — including our calls and emails with you, and each draft of a document — and for disbursements such as legal research costs. If the retainer runs down before the work is finished, we'll ask you to add to it. Your lawyer goes through all of this with you before you sign.
Who we act for
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No. We act for employees, regulated professionals, and unions.
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Yes. We act for people at every level of an organization — the more senior the role, the more there usually is to negotiate.
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Yes. Professional regulation — complaints, investigations, and discipline processes before a college or governing body — is one of our practice areas.
Have a question we didn’t answer? Get in touch.
Helpful Resources — Articles
Occasional writing by our team on how complaints and licensing work in practice, along with news and updates in professional regulation.
The New Amalgamated Health Colleges in BC
Two Things the Professionals Should Know
July 4, 2024
Need help?
Get in touch with us.
Start with the outline; not the whole story.
Please note that we do not provide services on a contingency basis. For more information on our fees, initial intake and consultation process, please visit Good to Know.