On Line, Directory of Canadian Lawyers
In addition, we also offer, for a modest fee access to our exclusive on line version of our Directory of Canadian Lawyers. This directory lists about 68,000 lawyers in every town village and hamlet in Canada. Using this directory, you can, for example, locate all the lawyers in your neighbourhood. Or you could use it to find a lawyer across town, or across the country.

Our basic free Lawyer Referral Service lists lawyers who currently are paying to advertise with us and list their skills, background and experience so that you can more easily judge if an individual is suitable for your needs.

Since 1996, we have found lawyers for tens of thousands of clients from all over the world. We can certainly help you. We are much more then a referral service, although the referral service is the foundation on which we are built.

LAW SOCIETY REFERRAL SERVICES
BEWARE the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) referral scam. LSUC uses a 900 number, just like those sex lines, to charge you for each and every phone call you make to their rip off referral service. You will be charged on your phone bill, like it or not, for a Law Society of Upper Canada referral to only one lawyer. CanLaw referrals are FREE and you can get referred to many lawyers so you can pick the best one for your needs.

The existing phone in referral services run by law societies are inadequate. You do not have to hire a lawyer they or anyone else, including legal aid, recommends to you. You have a legal right to be represented by the counsel of your choice, not theirs. They do not, in my opinion, serve the best interests of the client. They seem designed to serve the needs (for new clients) of the lawyers who use the service. Lawyers pay their local Law Society to be included on these referral service.

When people call in requesting a referral to a lawyer, they are asked for the geographic area and the type of lawyer, (e.g. family law, criminal, real estate or whatever). They are then given the next lawyer on the list who meets those rather broad standards. This "next olive out of the jar" approach is not much of a basis on which to buy something as important as a legal services.

The cost of lawyers and litigation is on a par with the cost of a new car. It may cost more then the average house. In Ontario, the Attorney General says that the average cost of a civil law suit that goes through a trial is over $38,000.00 plus disbursements. Somehow hiring a lawyer on the basis that s/he is the next name out of the hat strikes us as being reckless.

YELLOW PAGES ADS
Choosing a lawyer out of the yellow pages is really not much better. Choosing on the basis of a friend's recommendation is perilous. A good real estate lawyer is probably not a good criminal lawyer.

We feel you need more information about any lawyer you are considerin hiring in order to make an informed, intelligent and sound choice.

How is CanLaw's lawyer referral service better?
That depends on how well you use our service. Our Lawyer Referral Plus Service is a very good option. We will submit your case to ten qualified lawyers who have experience in your field. This is much better than your just picking some lawyer's name out a hat and hoping for the best. The small fee is nothing for the peace of mind we offer.

Our on line version of our Directory of Canadian Lawyers. helps you target in on a group of lawyers in your area. We provide you with complete contact information so you can easy phone, fax or even email them with your questions. Use this service to efficiently prescreen lawyers before you re a short list to actually interview.

You can browse through our free listings and pick a lawyer based on area and type of practice. We encourage our lawyers to place as much information as they can in order to help you make a better selection. The more you know about a lawyer, the better off you will be. That is our premise.

We strongly recommend that you shop carefully before you hire a lawyer. To start, use our services to browse through our lists and make a list of the lawyers who may be right for the job. Check out at least half a dozen and interview three or four before making a choice. Remember, you are about to hire someone who could change your life forever. Take your time.

Contact them by email or fax with a written list of questions and briefly outlining your case. In most cases, you can email the lawyers by clicking on their listings as you browse. It would be even easier if you make up your email first. Then you could just cut and paste it into the email right there as you browse. (Remember that your email and fax are not secure, so do not write anything damaging.)

Ask each lawyer for specific answers on these questions:
1. How long have you been in practice?
2. Do you have a specialist designation?
3. How many cases like this have you had?
4. Do you go to trial or are most cases settled out of court?
5. How many have you won?
6. How much would this case cost me?
7. What payment plans will you accept?
8. Who will actually do the work on this file?
9. How long will this type of case take to see to a settlement or the end?

Make a short list based on the answers you got. Now, make appointments and go to see each of the lawyers personally. Interview them as if you were hiring them to work for your company.

Bring all available documentation and makenotes about your problem before meeting with your prospective lawyer for the first time. It will allow you to present your problem in the clearest and most organized manner possible, and then to evaluate your lawyer's response to your case and questions. Once your lawyer knows what your case is about, you should consider whether you'll be comfortable working closely with the firm, whether you believe the lawyer has the experience and skill to handle your case, whether you understand his/her explanation of what the case involves, and whether the fee arrangements seem reasonable.

Get a feel for the chemistry between you. You are going to be working together on a matter that is probably vital to you. Possibly for years to come. If you do not like each other, you are going to have problems down the road.

Changing lawyers is a last resort to be avoided at all costs. If you are on Legal Aid, you MUST get their permission before changing lawyers and they may use this as an excuse to cancel your Legal Aid Certificate. The best way to avoid these problems is to choose the right lawyer in the first place.

When you get down to a short list of two or three lawyers, ask them for relevant references. Make the calls and check the references out. See if they were happy with the work, the lawyers, the results and the bill. Ask if they would use that lawyer again.

Hiring a lawyer is not much different from hiring anyone else... be it the contractor who repairs driveways, a real estate agent or a baby sitter. You check out their references, ask others for opinions, consult your astrologer and in the end you toss a coin and hope for the best. The simple truth is you cannot be sure what you are getting until you are see the work.

Paying a lawyer.
Now you have to choose. When you do, never pay more then about 25% of the total estimate in advance. Work out a payment plan based on the progress of the file. If you keep control of the money, you have leverage. Litigation almost always is a long slow dreadful process and a lawyer needs an incentive to push the case forward. If he cannot get paid until your case reaches the next stage, s/he will be motivated to work harder.

So in picking a lawyer, eliminate the obvious non starters, sort through the rest using your common sense, gut feel and judgement. If the lawyer seems after all this to be someone you can trust and work with, sign on the dotted line.

Now finally, when you are both agreed, draw up a letter of agreement. This letter need not be a fancy contract. Just outline the work and results you expect, the price and the payment terms and a timetable. This is something you can do yourself, or if your new lawyer does it, make sure s/he doe not charge you for it.

This is one way CanLaw offers you better referrals and services. But it is not the only way.

If none of the lawyers listed on our site appeal, or if you wish to see other options, there is a form on line which you can fill out and CanLaw's unique Lawyer Referral Service will go to work for you.

Ratings Department
We also have established a Rate Your Lawyer department based on the premise that consumers of legal services have a right to satisfaction. We see a service similar in concept to the Better Business Bureaux, but restricted to the legal industry. Just ask CanLaw. It is time that you find out who the lawyers are who are doing a good job.

We will attempt to demystify working with lawyers. This will make the world a better place for you and for all the lawyers out there who are honest, hardworking reliable and deserving of your trust.

And that, is why we are offering you a better service and we hope that you will use it.