Retainer Fees
We understand this economy is dealing with unprecedented increases in groceries, housing, transportation, and other cost of living expenses. Being able to pay with exorbitant legal fees is unrealistic for many.
For those who do not have the disposable income to pay for legal fees out of their own pocket, we take Legal Aid certificates for those who are eligible.
For privately retained clients, fees will be disclosed and explained before you decide to hire us as your legal representation so you know exactly what you are getting into. Individualized payment plans will be offered to those who cannot pay everything up front. Stages of payment explained below.
Stages of Payment
Initial Consultation
The initial consultation is always free. This includes a brief review of initial disclosure and a conversation about your options. At this stage, a retainer fee will be quoted for the legal proceedings.
Bail Hearing
Most people charged with a crime are released from the police station and given a court date to attend. There is, however, a small percentage held for a bail hearing. At this stage, a lawyer is needed to negotiate with the Crown to release you without a hearing or to conduct a bail hearing before a justice of the peace or a Superior Court judge where there will be a ruling on whether you will be released pending trial. Retainer fees at this stage compensate us for time spent reviewing whatever disclosure is available, negotiating with the Crown, preparing sureties for the hearing, and time spent in court actually conducting the hearing.
Pre-Trial
Whether you are detained pending trial or released, you will need a lawyer to review your case, assess the strength and weakness of the evidence against you, and speak to the Crown about a favourable resolution for you, whether that is a guilty plea or a withdrawal of the charges.
Preliminary Hearing/Trial
If you are charged with a criminal offence, you have the unequivocal right to have a trial in which the Crown must prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. For some charges, you are also entitled to a preliminary hearing where a judge must determine if there is enough evidence against you to even stand trial. At this stage, we will review all disclosure with you, discuss trial strategy, prepare you to testify if need be, and prepare to vindicate you before the court.
Guilty Plea
If you are guilty of the charges alleged against you and you would like to take responsibility before the court, we will assist you with that. At this stage, we would review all allegations with you so you are only taking responsibility for what you actually did and explain the pros, cons, and implications of entering a guilty plea.
Sentencing
If you are found guilty at trial or plead guilty, you will then be sentenced by a judge. This sentence could be probation, a fine, discharge, or at worst, incarceration. We would assist you in putting your best foot forward before the court so you receive the best sentence possible. This includes interviewing you or your network to get background context of your life, researching caselaw to determine what is an appropriate sentence, and advocating on your behalf before the judge.