Apply to practise through NEO
Tell us about your licence, the files you take and where you work. If it looks like a fit, we will call you, check your standing and conflicts, and send you a written agreement to consider. Applying is free and commits you to nothing.
Before you apply
What you will need, and the terms in brief.
Have these ready
- Your Law Society of Ontario paralegal licence number. We check your status on the Law Society directory.
- The areas you practise in, within the paralegal scope, and where you work.
- Whether you carry professional liability insurance that meets By-Law 6 (you will need it, naming you, before your first file).
- Optionally, a link to your résumé or CV. Please leave out your SIN, date of birth and photo.
The terms in brief
- 50% of net fees collected on firm-sourced matters, 90% on clients you bring to NEO and 100% on excluded work, all as NEO matters.
- A desk fee of $250 a month plus HST ($282.50), waived for any month with fewer than 5 qualifying firm-sourced matters and for your partial first month.
- Payout by the 15th of the following month, with a Payment Statement.
- Self-employed: your own tax, CPP, insurance and Law Society costs. No guaranteed number of files or income.
Standard terms; final terms are in the written agreement. The full terms and a calculator.
Applications are open. We read each one as it arrives and take on contractors only when we have the room and the work to support them, so we may not be able to offer a start date straight away.
How we decide
What we look at, and what we don’t.
What we look at
- Your P1 licence and good standing, checked on the Law Society’s public directory.
- Whether the files you take are within the paralegal scope of practice and your competence.
- Whether there is a conflict of interest with NEO’s clients.
- Whether we have the room and the work to support another contractor now.
A person at NEO reads every application. We do not use AI or any automated tool to screen or choose applicants. Canadian experience is not required, and every applicant gets a reply.
If you are moving from another firm
The Paralegal Rules of Conduct on changing firms (rule 3.05) mean that, before you start, we will need the names on your current client list to check for conflicts against NEO’s records. We ask for them later, only for that check.
Please don’t send client names, files or any other confidential information with your application.
Your application
Professional details only, please. It takes a few minutes and costs nothing.
What happens next
Nothing is agreed until a written agreement is signed, and either of us can stop before then.
A person reads your application
Someone at NEO reads it and checks your standing on the Law Society directory. We reply by email, whatever the answer.
A call with us
If it looks like a fit, we arrange a call to talk through the files you take, how the fee share works and any questions you have.
Insurance and conflict checks
You show us proof of professional liability insurance that meets the Law Society’s By-Law 6 and names you as an insured, with at least $1,000,000 per claim and $2,000,000 in the aggregate. We check the names on your current client list against NEO’s records for conflicts, as the Paralegal Rules of Conduct on changing firms (rule 3.05) require, and ask only for what that check needs.
The written agreements
We send you an Independent Contractor Agreement and a Confidentiality Agreement. Take the time you need, and your own legal or tax advice if you wish. Nothing is agreed until both of us sign.
Your portal account
You receive an email to set your password for the NEO portal, where the matters you accept appear.
Your desk fee billing link
You can pre-authorize a card for desk fees through a private billing link, adding the card on Stripe’s secure page. Nothing is charged when you add it, and the first desk fee that could apply is for your first full calendar month.
Record NEO in LSO Connects
Add your relationship with NEO in the Business Relationships section of LSO Connects. Which work status applies to you is for you to settle with the Law Society.
Then the work itself: how working through NEO works, from the first file to the monthly payout. Are you an Ontario lawyer? See For Lawyers.
Questions about applying
Who can apply?
Paralegals who hold a P1 licence from the Law Society of Ontario and are in good standing. We check every applicant on the Law Society’s public directory before going further. Ontario lawyers have their own page: For Lawyers.
I’m a paralegal student or licensing candidate. Can I apply?
Not for the fee share yet. Only licensees can provide legal services, so files are offered only to P1 licensees in good standing. You are welcome to apply once you are licensed. We can’t promise a placement or a start date to anyone. If your program approves a supervised field or co-op placement for credit, see For Students.
Do you require Canadian experience?
No. We look at your Law Society licence and standing, the areas you practise in and whether the files suit your competence. We don’t ask where you gained your experience.
Is my application screened by AI?
No. A person at NEO reads every application. We do not use AI or any automated tool to screen or choose applicants. We reply to every applicant by email.
Will I be self-employed?
Yes. You work with NEO as an independent contractor. You decide which files to accept and when you work, you pay the desk fee when it applies and your own insurance and Law Society costs, and what you earn depends on your own work. You handle your own income tax and CPP. You generally have to register for HST once your taxable revenue passes $30,000 in a single calendar quarter, or over four consecutive calendar quarters, and you can choose to register earlier. The Canada Revenue Agency’s guide for GST/HST registrants explains the tests. NEO does not deduct income tax, CPP or EI from your payments, and provides no benefits or vacation pay.
Can I bring clients with me?
Yes, as NEO matters at the 90% share. Each one goes through NEO’s conflict check first, signs NEO’s retainer and is billed by NEO. If you are moving from another firm, the Paralegal Rules of Conduct on changing firms apply, and we check your current client list for conflicts before you start. We may decline a matter, for example because of a conflict.
Do I need my own insurance?
Yes. You need professional liability insurance that meets the Law Society’s By-Law 6 and names you as an insured, with at least $1,000,000 per claim and $2,000,000 in the aggregate, and you show us proof before your first file. The Law Society’s page on paralegal insurance requirements sets out the rule and any exemptions.
General information only, not legal, tax or employment advice. NEO Legal Services Professional Corporation is a licensed paralegal firm regulated by the Law Society of Ontario. Final terms are the ones in the signed Independent Contractor Agreement.
Each paralegal keeps their own obligations
A paralegal who works with NEO keeps full professional responsibility for their files and every obligation under the Law Society of Ontario’s rules and by-laws. This page is general information; it is not legal, tax or employment advice, and sending an application does not create an agreement or any other relationship. We are NEO Legal Services Professional Corporation, a licensed paralegal firm (Mo. Farooqui, Licensed Paralegal, LSO licence P21785), and we are not a law firm. Questions: 647-200-3526 or info@neolegalservices.com.
PIPEDA-compliant⚖️ By-Law 9 trust accounting checks🛡️ Professional liability insured✅ LSO-licensed paralegal🔐 256-bit AES Encryption📋 Working toward WCAG 2.1 AA🇨🇦 Ontario-based firm🕒 SOC 2-audited hosting providers📄 CASL Compliant💻 Secure Client Portal📊 Transparent Fixed Fees🔍 Verified Google Reviews🤝 Free Initial Consultation🏛️ Law Society of Ontario📜 Professional Corporation🔏 Confidential by professional duty🌐 Province-Wide Service💬 Court interpreters in most languages⏱️ Same-Day Intake Response🗂️ Paperless Document Vault🔄 Real-Time Case Tracking🎓 Honours paralegal graduate · LLB in progress📱 Mobile-friendly client portal🧾 Upfront, written fees🔗 TLS 1.3 Secure Connections🛂 ID checks at sign-up (By-Law 7.1)🧑⚖️ Paralegal Scope of Practice📆 Flexible Appointment Booking💼 Small Business Friendly
