Free Online Tools and Calculators Policy

Purpose

Our website offers free tools to help people in Ontario understand their situation and prepare to speak with us: the Fee Calculator, the Case Strength Checker, the Writ and Garnishment Calculator, the Document Checklist, and, on our home page, a case strength tool, a document drafter for letters and notices, a quick-answer chat and a way to send us documents for review. This policy explains what these and any similar tools are for, what they can't do, and what happens to what you enter.

General information only

A tool's result is worked out from what you enter and from general rules. It can't take account of everything in your situation, such as your documents, what the other side will say or a recent change in the law. It is not legal advice, and it is not a licensed paralegal's opinion on your matter.

• Our case strength tools apply a fixed set of scoring rules to your answers or to the words in your description. No one at NEO reviews the result. A score or a label such as "Strong" does not predict what a court or tribunal will decide, and is not a promise that we will take your matter or that you will win.
• A draft letter or notice from a tool is only a starting point and may not suit your situation. Courts and tribunals often require their own forms. For example, a notice to end a tenancy for unpaid rent must be given on the Landlord and Tenant Board's current Form N4, so always use the current official version.
• The quick-answer chat gives set answers about our services. It does not read your matter, and a price it mentions is a general guide only.

No paralegal-client relationship

Using a tool or sending us documents does not make NEO 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, you are responsible for your own deadlines. We act only in matters a licensed paralegal is permitted to handle, and we will tell you if yours needs a lawyer.

Fee estimates are not quotes

The Fee Calculator adds up the fees listed in it for the services you choose. It is not a quote or an offer, and a figure in it may differ from our Services page or from what your matter needs. Your fee is the one in your signed retainer agreement, which also says how HST and disbursements, such as filing fees, are charged. If figures differ, your retainer governs. See our Fees, Retainers and Billing Policy.

Never rely on a tool for a deadline

Don't use a tool to work out a limitation period, a filing or appeal deadline, or any date by which you must act. Some claims have periods shorter than two years, and when a period starts can be hard to tell. If a date matters, contact us or the court or tribunal at once. See our Deadlines and Limitation Periods Policy and Urgent Matters Policy.

Interest, exemptions and amounts

The Writ and Garnishment Calculator uses the figures, dates and rates you enter, works out simple interest, and follows the Courts of Justice Act and the Wages Act as we understood them when it was last updated. Prejudgment and postjudgment interest rates are published for each quarter, so its default rates may not be current. A court can order a different rate or change how much of a person's wages is protected, and support orders and Canada Revenue Agency garnishments have their own rules. Check the current rates and your court order before you file anything.

What happens to what you enter

• Calculators, checklists, case strength tools, the document drafter and the chat. We don't save what you enter. If a tool sends your entry to our server to work out the result, it is used only for that and is not kept.
• Sending documents for review. When you press send, your documents go to our private storage, and your description, name, email, phone and the quick estimate are saved as an enquiry. Our team is notified, a licensed paralegal reviews what you sent, and you get a confirmation email with a reference number. The quick estimate shown at the end is automatic and is not a paralegal's opinion. Our contact and booking forms also send your details to our team.
• Analytics. As on every page of our site, visits may be measured with cookies, as our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy explain.

We limit how often documents and enquiries can be sent, and we may limit or block automated or abusive use of any tool.

Your information is treated with care

Even before you become a client, we keep what you send us confidential, and use it to respond to you, including to check for conflicts of interest. The internet is never completely secure, so send only what we need (no full card or bank numbers), upload only documents you have the right to share, and call us if you'd rather discuss something sensitive by phone.

Limits on our responsibility

The tools are free and provided as they are. We don't promise that a tool is accurate, complete, current or always available. To the extent permitted by law, NEO is not responsible for loss resulting from a decision made only on a tool's result, without advice on your own situation. Nothing in this policy limits a right you have under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 or any other law that can't be waived, or our duties to the people we act for. This policy applies together with our Terms of Service, Legal Disclaimer and Legal page.

Changes to our tools

We may change, suspend or remove any tool at any time, including its rates, questions and scoring. We keep all our rights in the tools and their content, as our Website Content and Intellectual Property Policy explains.

Review

This policy is reviewed at least once a year, whenever a tool changes in a way that affects it, 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.