The Law Society, tax and privacy rules that shape how you would practise through NEO, in our own words, with what each one means at NEO and a link to the source. This is general information, and the Law Society’s own wording governs.
NEO Legal Services Professional Corporation is a paralegal professional corporation, and a licensed paralegal firm, not a law firm. Its principal is Mo. Farooqui, Licensed Paralegal (Law Society licence P21785), and you can check the Law Society directory. A professional corporation provides legal services only through licensees, and practising through one doesn’t lessen any licensee’s own responsibility (see the Law Society’s page on professional corporations).
Working with NEO as an independent contractor doesn’t make you a shareholder, a partner or an owner of the firm.
Rule 5.01 sets out how a paralegal may charge, divide and refer fees, and bars sharing fees with anyone who is not a licensee. The Law Society’s fee splitting guidance explains how it applies.
What it means at NEO: Every matter is a NEO matter, and your share comes out of fees NEO collects, under your written agreement. No one who is not a licensee shares in the fees.
Rule 3.04 bars acting where there is a conflict of interest, except as the rule allows. Rule 3.05 deals with conflicts that arise when a paralegal moves from one firm to another. See Rule 3 and the Law Society’s conflicts resource.
What it means at NEO: Every new matter, including one for a client you bring in, goes through NEO’s firm-wide conflict check before any work starts. When you join, we check the names on your current client list against NEO’s records. We may decline a matter because of a conflict.
A paralegal takes professional responsibility for the work entrusted to them and must directly supervise the non-licensees they assign tasks to; By-Law 7.1 sets out what may be assigned. See Rule 8 and the by-laws.
What it means at NEO: You keep full professional responsibility for your files. If you give tasks on one of your files to someone at NEO who is not a licensee, you supervise that work.
A licensed paralegal who provides legal services must carry professional liability insurance that meets By-Law 6, unless an exemption applies. See the Law Society’s paralegal insurance requirements.
What it means at NEO: You arrange 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 show us proof before your first file.
By-Law 9 sets the rules for money received for clients, including trust accounts, limits on cash and the records each licensee keeps. See By-Law 9.
What it means at NEO: Retainers and other money held for clients go only into NEO’s trust account, and NEO keeps the records. NEO issues every invoice and receives every payment; you never take client money personally.
Licensees report changes in their work status and business relationships to the Law Society, through LSO Connects, and keep their annual report, fees and continuing professional development current.
What it means at NEO: Record your relationship with NEO in the Business Relationships section of LSO Connects when you start and when you stop. Which work status applies to you is for you to settle with the Law Society.
A paralegal’s marketing must be demonstrably true, accurate and verifiable, and must not mislead. See Rule 8.
What it means at NEO: That is why these pages give no income figures, file counts or other claims we can’t prove, and why every worked example and the calculator are labelled illustrations on assumed fees.
The agreement is written for a self-employed independent contractor. Whether someone is an employee or self-employed depends on the actual working relationship, not the label: the Canada Revenue Agency’s guide RC4110 and Ontario’s page on employees and independent contractors explain the factors, such as who controls the work, who supplies the tools, and the chance of profit and the risk of loss.
See our Privacy Policy and Anti-Spam Policy.
Read the rules and guides at the source. These links open in a new tab.
This page is general information about how NEO Legal Services Professional Corporation applies the rules to its fee share. It is not legal, tax or employment advice, and it is not the Law Society’s text: where this page differs from the Law Society’s rules or by-laws, the Law Society’s wording governs. Each licensee is responsible for their own compliance. The terms that bind you and NEO are the ones in a signed Independent Contractor Agreement.
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