Appointments and Free Consultations Policy

Purpose

This policy explains how to book a consultation or other appointment with NEO, what a free consultation is and isn't, and what to expect before and at your appointment.

Ways to meet

• By video or phone, wherever you are in Ontario.
• In person, at our office at Unit 236, 1099 Kingston Road, Pickering, by appointment.

You can book online, choosing a time shown in Ontario time, or by phone or email. If no time suits you, please call us.

The free consultation

Your first consultation about a matter is free. It lasts 15 minutes, and there is no obligation to hire us. In it, a licensed paralegal:

• listens to what has happened and what you would like to achieve;
• tells you whether it is something a paralegal can help with, or whether you need a lawyer, as our Scope of Paralegal Practice Policy explains;
• explains your options and what would happen next;
• if we can help, tells you what our help would cost before any work begins.

We check for conflicts of interest before or at the start of the consultation, so we may ask for the names of the other people involved. If we find a conflict, we tell you straight away that we can't advise you.

What a consultation is not

• It doesn't make us your representative. We act for you only after a conflict check, identity verification and a signed written retainer, as our Engagement and Non-Engagement Policy explains. Until then, your deadlines are your responsibility.
• It isn't a reason to wait. If a date is close, call us straight away rather than waiting for an appointment. See our Urgent Matters Policy.

Before your appointment

1. Confirmation. When you book online, we email you a confirmation with a reference number and a calendar file. We confirm the appointment by phone or email within two business days. If your appointment is sooner than that, please call us.
2. Video meetings. We email you the video link before your appointment.
3. Be ready. Have any documents, notices or court papers ready to share.
4. A private place. For a phone or video meeting, choose somewhere you can speak freely and privately.
5. What you need. Tell us if you need an interpreter, an accessible format or another accommodation, under our Interpreters and Translation Policy and Accessible Formats and Communication Supports Policy.

Changing or cancelling

• To change or cancel, reply to your confirmation email or call us at 888-519-2435, and quote your reference. Please tell us as early as you can, so we can offer the time to someone else.
• If we have to change an appointment, we tell you as soon as we can and offer you another time.

Booking a service with Checkout

When you book a service with Checkout on its page, your appointment is an intake call with a licensed paralegal, and nothing is charged online. On the call, we confirm the details and check for conflicts of interest. If we can act for you, we send you a written retainer agreement with the scope of our work and the fee before any work starts. Any fee paid before the work is done is held in our trust account. The card you save at the end of Checkout is charged only later, for an invoice for work already done, as our Saved Cards and Automatic Charges Policy explains.

Members

If you have a membership, the consultations your plan includes are booked and counted as our Membership Terms explain.

At your appointment

• You may bring a support person, under our Family Members, Friends and Support Persons Policy. We may ask to speak with you alone for part of the meeting.
• Calls with us may be recorded, and we tell you at the start, as our Recording of Calls and Meetings Policy explains.
• Everyone is treated with courtesy and respect, and we ask the same of everyone who visits or calls us, under our Respectful Conduct Policy (Clients and Visitors).

Reminders

We may email you a reminder before an appointment, or before a hearing you must attend, and text you if you have opted in to our SMS Messaging Program. Reminders are a courtesy. They don't replace a court's or tribunal's notice, so please keep your own note of every date, and tell us at once if you can't attend.

Review

This policy is reviewed at least once a year, and whenever the Law Society's By-Laws or rules change. The principal approves every change.

Questions

Email info@neolegalservices.com, call 647-200-3526 or toll-free 888-519-2435, or write to us at Unit 236, 1099 Kingston Road, Pickering, Ontario L1V 1B5.