How it Works
My Clients
I provide legal research and writing services to Canadian lawyers. My clients are sole practitioners, law firms, and in-house legal departments.
My Office
I work from my home office in North Vancouver and typically communicate with clients by phone and e-mail. In-person meetings can sometimes be arranged for lawyers in the Lower Mainland.
My Resources
I maintain comprehensive legal database subscriptions with Lexis Advance and Westlaw Edge. In addition to my growing private law library, I also make frequent use of the Courthouse Library.
My Availability
It depends on the day! Sometimes I can accommodate a last-minute assignment; other times I’m booked up several weeks out. The best time to call me about new work is as early as possible. You can even canvass my availability before you’re certain you need me.
If you’ve got something due tomorrow, try me! I can’t guarantee I’ll say yes, but I’ll do my best to fit you in or refer you to another qualified research lawyer.
My Professional Responsibilities
I am an insured, practising member of the Law Society of British Columbia and am bound by the same rules of professional conduct as all BC lawyers. This includes maintaining the confidentiality of all client information and avoiding conflicts of interest. I maintain a conflicts database that I consult prior to taking on any new matters.
My Fees
I bill hourly at a rate of $300 plus sales tax.
I have other research lawyers on my team who bill out at lower rates ($200 to $250 per hour).
I don’t charge extra for disbursements. If you like, I can provide a fee estimate once I know a bit about the assignment. I won’t exceed the estimate without your prior approval.
After I’m done, I’ll send you an invoice within a week of completing the assignment. If you like, I’ll include detailed time entries. If you plan to bill my work to a client, you can deal with this in a number of ways: pass my fees on to your client as a disbursement, bill my time as legal fees without a mark-up, or bill my time as legal fees with reasonable mark-up.