Assigning Enquiries to Contractor Paralegals Policy

Purpose

Some of our matters are handled by licensed paralegals who work with NEO as independent contractors, as our Independent Contractor Paralegals Policy explains. This policy explains how we decide who handles an enquiry or a new matter, and what information is shared along the way.

Who it applies to

Everyone who contacts us or books with us, our clients, and the administrators and contractor paralegals who handle enquiries.

Who decides

An administrator at NEO decides who handles each enquiry or new matter. It may stay with NEO's own team, be given to a particular contractor paralegal, or be offered to the contractor paralegals who work with us, for one of them to accept.

Only contractor paralegals who are actively working with us, with a portal account in good standing, can be given or offered an enquiry. When a contractor paralegal stops working with us, the enquiries they were given come back to NEO. If they were handling your matter, you choose who continues it, as our Independent Contractor Paralegals Policy explains.

What a contractor paralegal sees, and when

1. Before accepting. A contractor paralegal looking at enquiries waiting to be accepted sees only your name and, if we know it, your town. They don't see your contact details, your documents or what your matter is about.
2. After accepting. Once a contractor paralegal accepts your enquiry, or we give it to them, they see your contact details and what you sent us, so they can help you.
3. Nothing more. Contractor paralegals can open only what they have accepted or been given, not other people's enquiries or files.
4. A record. We keep a record of who accepted each enquiry, and when.

The same protections, whoever handles it

• Confidentiality. Every contractor paralegal is bound by the duty of confidentiality and signs a confidentiality agreement with NEO, under our Confidentiality Policy.
• The same checks. Before anyone acts for you, NEO's conflict check and identity verification are done, and your retainer is with NEO.
• The same fee. Your fee is set by your retainer. How NEO and a contractor paralegal share fees never increases what you pay.
• Pay only NEO. NEO issues every invoice and receives every payment. Never pay a contractor paralegal personally.

Your choices

You can ask us at any time who is handling your enquiry or matter. If you would rather your enquiry stayed with NEO's own team, or would like a different paralegal, tell us and we will do our best to arrange it.

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. We also review it whenever the way we assign enquiries changes.

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.