Police may arrest you or detain you for questioning. You are not obliged to cooperate. Police are allowed to question you. Police are not required to tell you the truth or to be honest with you.

If they decide to arrest you, you will be read your rights.

Do:

* Demand a private location and call your lawyer right away

* Follow your lawyer’s advice

Don’t:

 * Do not engage in any conversation with police once you have been read your rights

 * Do not admit to any offence without your lawyer advising it. 

 * Do not try to be your own lawyer. Most crimes are technical in nature. You may not understand the technicalities of the offence you are arrested for. 

If anyone from a Children's Aid Society calls you or asks to speak to you or your children, please give our lawyers a call and we will advise you of your rights and how you can best protect your family. 

Retainer

Before we take your case, we will need what is called a “retainer”. A retainer means an amount of money that you deposit with your lawyer’s firm before your lawyer works for you. The retainer amount is negotiated with your lawyer, and will depend on a number of things, such as length of your case, complexity of your case and whether your case will go to trial. A retainer is necessary because, without it, it is unclear who is actually representing you. The retainer is put into a separate account, called a trust account, and will not be spent until your lawyer proceeds to work on your case.

Additional legal fees

Your lawyer may require additional funds from you as your case progresses. On the other hand, if your lawyer manages to negotiate a deal on your behalf, it is possible that you may be reimbursed a portion of your retainer.

How to pay

Cash, E-Transfer and paper cheques are accepted. 

Legal Aid

You may qualify for legal aid if your income is low enough. For legal aid to be accepted by the firm, you will need a certificate. Legal Aid Ontario issues legal aid certificates to people who are legally and financially eligible and need a lawyer. As Legal Aid Ontario states, this certificate is like a “voucher” for legal services. You can use it to “pay” for a lawyer to represent you for a certain number of hours. To apply for a certificate, call 1-800-668-8258.