Access to information request (FIPPA / MFIPPA)
Freedom of information request to a provincial or municipal institution.
What is included
- Working out which body deals with your concern and what it can and cannot do
- Preparing a clear written complaint, request, objection or appeal, with supporting documents
- Filing it on the right form or portal, within any deadline
- Following up with the body and explaining its response to you
- Explaining the next steps if the response does not resolve the issue
What is not included
- Tribunal filing fees, transcripts, professional reports and other disbursements
- Stages the service does not name, such as an extra hearing day, a reconsideration or an appeal
- Attending a hearing when the service covers documents or advice only
- A judicial review or appeal in the Divisional Court, which is outside a licensed paralegal's scope
- Collecting money or enforcing an order after the decision
Who this service is for
- Someone who wants records from an Ontario ministry, municipality or other public institution
- People with a complaint about a public service, utility, police service or regulated business
- Students, victims of crime and residents who need a written request or objection prepared
Information to have ready
- 1The letters, decisions or records the issue is about, with dates
- 2Notes of who you dealt with and when
- 3Any reference or file number the organisation gave you
- 4The outcome you are hoping for
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost?
The fee is $250 plus 13% HST ($282.50 in all) for the work described on this page. Court, tribunal or government fees and other disbursements are extra. We confirm the scope and the fee in a written retainer agreement before any work starts.
What happens when I check out?
You book a time for your intake call, then save a card on Stripe's secure page. Nothing is charged today: the card is only charged later, for an invoice for work already done, as your retainer agreement sets out. A licensed paralegal confirms the details, checks for conflicts of interest and, if we can act for you, sends the retainer agreement. Fees paid before the work is done are held in our trust account.
Can an ombudsman or commissioner overturn a decision?
Usually not in the way a tribunal can. Many oversight bodies investigate and make recommendations, though some, such as the Information and Privacy Commissioner in an access appeal, can make binding orders.
Do I need to complain to the organisation first?
Often, yes. Many oversight bodies expect you to have raised the issue with the organisation itself before they will look at it. We check what applies before anything is filed.
What if the response does not solve my problem?
We explain the options that remain, which may include an appeal, a tribunal application or a referral elsewhere, and the deadline for each.
General information only, not legal advice. NEO Legal Services Professional Corporation is a licensed paralegal firm regulated by the Law Society of Ontario.
Important limitations
- No outcome can be guaranteed; the tribunal decides
- Deadlines are set by law or by the tribunal, and missing one may end your right to go ahead
- The service covers only the step it names; later steps are agreed separately in writing
- A few services here are requests or complaints to public bodies rather than tribunal cases; before any work starts we confirm that your matter is within what a licensed paralegal is permitted to do, and we can refer anything that is not to an Ontario lawyer.
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