Remember: if you are looking for a pardon, record suspension, or U.S. Entry Waiver, try a Canadian Pardon | Record Suspension Service.

So in this blog, I’ll be talking about the scary and frustrating ways in which having a criminal record in Canada can ruin your life…

Lets start off with the basics…Discrimination…If you have a criminal record and police do a criminal record check in their cruiser (using your name and date of birth) and find a record, the chances are that you’ll look less innocent in their eyes than if you didn’t have a criminal record.  Lets face it.  If police see that you’ve got a long history of criminal or delinquent behaviour involving the justice system, and they’re looking at you right now, things aren’t going to go your way…  The same can be said about judges in court.  If you’ve just been convicted for the 3rd or 4th time for an offence, well that information can come out in sentencing.  The judge will probably think that you’re a repeat offender in need of a harsher sentence.  If you’re in family court, having a criminal record can be used to discredit you so that you lose child custody/access.  Ouch!

Lets talk about discrimination in the workplace.  After 9 /11, many employers are now wanting prospective employees to provide or consent to criminal record checks.  If you have a criminal record, the chances of you getting a job just got a whole lot smaller.  If you’re applying for a bank job and you have been convicted of theft, good luck!  Same goes if you’ve been convicted of dangerous driving and you’re applying to be a trucker: slim chance!  Lets face it: having a criminal record makes you less trustworthy than someone who doesn’t have one.

Volunteering?  If you have a criminal record, you likely won’t be selected (especially if you’ve been charged or convicted of offences against vulnerable people).  So that means you can’t even help out at your child’s school.

What about immigrating to Canada.  Well, having a criminal record from abroad or in Canada can significantly impact your ability to enter and remain in Canada (either as a visitor, temporary resident, student, worker, permanent resident, convention refugee, etc.).  You can even find yourself barred at the border or removed from Canada once you’ve entered legally because of your criminal record.  Kiss your dreams of becoming a Canadian citizen goodbye!  You can always try to get the government’s consent, but that takes time and money.

Another biggie is traveling to the U.S.  Talk about a mess and a half.  Nobody really understands what the U.S. is looking for in terms of criminal records to let you in.  The bottom line is drug-related offences or offences involving moral turpitude (some confusing and frustrating phrase) means you won’t get in without  a U.S. Entry Waiver (which takes time and money to acquire).

Even the family dream of adopting a child or becoming a foster parent becomes simply that with a criminal record: a dream!

If you want to rent an apartment or get mortgage approval to get a home – if you have a criminal record – you may be denied!

So what are you left with?  Well, lets just say you’re in stay in a bad spot so long as your criminal record exists and is available to prying eyes.  Years of schooling wasted because you can’t work at your dream job.  You can’t contribute to society through volunteering.  You can’t become a Canadian citizen or travel to the U.S. (for business, pleasure, etc.).  Your life is effectively put on hold…

That’s why I say that having a criminal record can RUIN your life!

written by admin \\ tags: affect of having a criminal record, bank job, criminal offence, criminal record in Canada, criminal records in canada, discrimination, getting a job, non profit organization, pardons canada, remove your criminal record, ruin your life, volunteering

There are many avenues for average Torontonians to find not only a lawyer, but the right lawyer for their particular case.  Unfortunately, most of these avenues are inconvenient and sometimes very costly (e.g. an initial meeting with a lawyer could run you a few hundred bucks!).

More often than not, people find a lawyer through word of mouth referrals from family, friends, colleagues, or other professionals they do know (e.g. bankers, accountants, consultants, real estate agents, insurance agents, paralegals, other lawyers they know, etc.).  This, in fact, is how most lawyers find their clients.

Alternatively, people may turn to the Yellow Pages and simply pick an advertisement and make a phone call.  I’ve been told that people tend to pick the biggest advertisement because they somehow believe that the bigger the ad, the more successful the lawyer or law firm.

They may even turn to the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Lawyer Referral Service, which charges users $6 for a 30-minute conversation with one lawyer.

The point here is that finding the right lawyer for you is an important undertaking.  You don’t want to have the lawyer who drafted your will or acted on your house deal to represent you in a criminal case: they may not be up-to-date on court room procedure or have experience cross-examining adverse parties.

Torontonians generally only need a lawyer for a limited time and have a limited budget for such engagements. Yet it is hard for these people to distinguish lawyers and law firms from each other, especially given that many small and medium law firms have a general practice. It may also be intimidating for them to approach lawyers with their legal issues, given that doing so may cost money (e.g. $500 for the initial hour visit) and ultimately retaining a lawyer could be very expensive given the uncertainty of hourly billings.

These factors make ordinary Torontonians shy away from seeking or hiring lawyers. Those sophisticated Torontonians who surf the Web looking for a lawyer are hungry for more information than what is provided in the YellowPages or a newspaper advertisement. They are doing a Google or Yahoo search to seek out a particular type of attorney in a particular field in a particular area. They are also looking for testimonials and looking for the experience of a lawyer.

All in all, it makes perfect sense for users facing these challenges to turn to Dynamic Lawyers as a way of finding the right lawyer for the right price.  Making a post is free and anonymous, posts remain on the website for up to 45 days, and users have the opportunity to receive information and multiple quotes from local lawyers specializing in the area of law requested.  Comparing answers and then following up with the lawyer of your choice is just plain smart – particularly in a field where it is hard to compare one service provider from the next.  All in all, a very good deal…

So now that you have found the right avenue to find a lawyer in a convenient and cost-effective manner: what next?  Well, let’s talk about legal fees.  Many lawyers will charge you a fixed fee for the first consultation.  At this meeting, they’ll ask you questions about yourself and your situation.  The lawyer is trying to understand the legal issues so that he can offer you some type of recommendation on how to proceed.  If the meeting goes well, you may end up signing the lawyer’s retainer agreement, which stipulates the services that are going to be offered and the fees that are going to be charged.  The fees are typically hourly fees ranging from $200 to upwards of $1000 / hour, depending on the size of the law firm, where it’s located (and it’s physical appearance and amenities), and the particular lawyer’s expertise and reputation.

At the first meeting with the lawyer, you should ask some basic questions related to:

1. What services will the lawyer specifically provide;
2. Billing, costs and budget;
3. Time line;
4. Communication (e.g. by phone, e-mail, etc. and how regularly);
5. Past Experience in a particular field;
6. Strategy;
7. Style (e.g. aggressive trial lawyer or alternative dispute resolution lawyer); and
8. Terminating the retainer (e.g. failure to pay, failure to act, breakdown in the relationship, loss of confidence, etc.).

written by admin \\ tags: breach of contract, charity status, Civil Litigation, commercial agreements, company intellectual property, criminal case, criminal offence, divisional court, employment agreement, family friends, finding the right lawyer, government action, government need, human rights and freedoms, landlord and tenant, law firms, law firms toronto law office toronto, law society of upper canada, lawyer referral service, lawyers, lawyers in Toronto, legal claim, legal toronto, notarize, referrals, small claims court, support government, toronto law firms, toronto lawyer, toronto legal services, Wills and Estates

Toronto law firms can help answer your legal questions, facilitate your transaction (e.g. business, real estate, wills and estates, family, etc.) or even represent you in court.  To find a Toronto lawyer or law firm, go to Dynamic Lawyers and make a post.  It’s free and anonymous and Toronto lawyers and law firms will respond to you with information and quotes for you to compare.

Here are some of the different types of legal services that Toronto law firms can offer:

• Accidents and Injuries: Involved in an accident where you suffered personal injury?
• Business: Need corporate or commercial agreements? Need to have a lawyer help you do a transaction?
• Charities and Not-For-Profit: Need to establish a Not-For-Profit corporation or obtain charity status?
• Civil Litigation – Higher Court: Have a serious legal claim that needs to be litigated in the Superior Court, Divisional Court, etc.?
• Civil Litigation – Small Claims Court: Have a legal claim (e.g. breach of contract, negligence, etc.) for less than $10,000?
• Constitutional / Human Rights and Freedoms: Challenging a law or government action / inaction?
  Criminal: Charged with a criminal offence? Appealing a conviction?
• Employment and Labour: Need an employment agreement? Unjustly terminated? Need to know your rights?
• Family: Going through a separation or divorce? Fighting to get custody or access? Dealing with spousal and child support?
• Government: Need to lobby the government? Need to resolve a dispute with a government agency?
• Highway Traffic Tickets: Charged with speeding or DUI? Need to fight traffic tickets?
• Immigration: Need to immigrate to Canada? Fighting against deportation?
• Insurance: Having difficulties with your Insurance company?.
• Intellectual Property: Need to register a copyright or trademark? Need help with a patent?
• Landlord and Tenant: Need a resolve a dispute? Need to know your rights?.
• Notary Public / Commissioner: Need to notarize or commission your documents?
• Real Estate: Need someone to facilitate your residential or commercial purchase, sale, or lease?
• Tax: Need help structuring your tax affairs? Need help resolving tax disputes with the Canada Revenue Agency?
• Wills, Estates and Trusts: Need a will? Need to update your will? Find out why having an up-to-date will is a must.

Try to consult with a couple of Toronto law firms and Toronto attorneys until you’re comfortable with whom you’re speaking with.  Toronto law firms differ in size, location, expertise, and reputation.  Go to Dynamic Lawyers and save time and money finding the right Toronto law firms and Toronto attorneys who specialize in the legal area you require!

written by admin \\ tags: breach of contract, charity status, Civil Litigation, commercial agreements, company intellectual property, criminal offence, divisional court, employment agreement, government action, government need, human rights and freedoms, landlord and tenant, law firms toronto law office toronto, lawyers in Toronto, legal claim, legal toronto, notarize, small claims court, support government, toronto law firms, toronto lawyer, toronto legal services, Wills and Estates

Toronto law firms can help answer your legal questions, facilitate your transaction (e.g. business, real estate, wills and estates, family, etc.) or even represent you in court.  To find a Toronto lawyer or law firm, go to Dynamic Lawyers and make a post.  It’s free and anonymous and Toronto lawyers and law firms will respond to you with information and quotes for you to compare.

Here are some of the different types of law that Toronto law firms can assist you in:

• Accidents and Injuries: Involved in an accident where you suffered personal injury?
• Business: Need corporate or commercial agreements? Need to have a lawyer help you do a transaction?
• Charities and Not-For-Profit: Need to establish a Not-For-Profit corporation or obtain charity status?
• Civil Litigation – Higher Court: Have a serious legal claim that needs to be litigated in the Superior Court, Divisional Court, etc.?
• Civil Litigation – Small Claims Court: Have a legal claim (e.g. breach of contract, negligence, etc.) for less than $10,000?
• Constitutional / Human Rights and Freedoms: Challenging a law or government action / inaction?
  Criminal: Charged with a criminal offence? Appealing a conviction?
• Employment and Labour: Need an employment agreement? Unjustly terminated? Need to know your rights?
• Family: Going through a separation or divorce? Fighting to get custody or access? Dealing with spousal and child support?
• Government: Need to lobby the government? Need to resolve a dispute with a government agency?
• Highway Traffic Tickets: Charged with speeding or DUI? Need to fight traffic tickets?
• Immigration: Need to immigrate to Canada? Fighting against deportation?
• Insurance: Having difficulties with your Insurance company?.
• Intellectual Property: Need to register a copyright or trademark? Need help with a patent?
• Landlord and Tenant: Need a resolve a dispute? Need to know your rights?.
• Notary Public / Commissioner: Need to notarize or commission your documents?
• Real Estate: Need someone to facilitate your residential or commercial purchase, sale, or lease?
• Tax: Need help structuring your tax affairs? Need help resolving tax disputes with the Canada Revenue Agency?
• Wills, Estates and Trusts: Need a will? Need to update your will? Find out why having an up-to-date will is a must.

Try to consult with a couple of Toronto law firms and Toronto attorneys until you’re comfortable with whom you’re speaking with.  Toronto law firms differ in size, location, expertise, and reputation.  Go to Dynamic Lawyers and save time and money finding the right Toronto law firms and Toronto attorneys who specialize in the legal area you require!

written by admin \\ tags: accident, accidents, agreement, attorneys, breach, breach of contract, charity status, Civil Litigation, commercial agreements, commissioners, company intellectual property, contracts, conviction, corpor, corporation, court, criminal, criminal offence, custody, different, different types of law, divisional court, family, firms, government need, human rights and freedoms, injuries, injury, insurance, landlord and tenant, law, lawyer, lawyers, legal claim, litigants, litigation, money, negligence, notarize, notary, offence, publicity, purchaser, quotes, separation, small claims court, support government, toronto, toronto law firms, toronto lawyer, toronto lawyers, traffic, types of law, Wills and Estates