Navigating Your Legal Journey with Carruthers Law
Comprehensive Guidance and Personalized Support Throughout Your Litigation Process
We help you every step of the way.
At Carruthers Law, we aim to deepen your understanding of the litigation process by using straightforward language, transparent billing, and clear expectations and timelines as we set you up for success. After initial contact and before our first meeting, Carruthers Law will conduct a conflict check to ensure no preexisting conflict of interest prevents us from being retained.
We will work within your preferred communication style, whether by mail, email, phone or zoom. Typically, we handle routine communications by email and significant steps and document signing during in-person meetings. All communications with Carruthers Law are confidential. You can expect a response to any communication within 1-2 days or sooner if urgent.
Roles and responsibilities
Lawyer's role
Carruthers Law is responsible for flagging upcoming tasks and deadlines and advising the client on the risk, benefits and potential outcomes of any decision that has to be made. Carruthers Law will lay out the cost of each option and recommend which direction aligns best with the client's goals. CL will complete tasks per the client's instructions, e.g. create a draft document or make a court appearance. Carruthers Law will also handle communications with other lawyers and the Court. We will explore and encourage settlement when appropriate (as obligated by the Code of Conduct, Rules of Court) and take initiatives to advance the file.
Client's role
The client's role in this relationship is to make an informed decision based on the advice provided by Carruthers Law. They must then provide explicit instructions to move forward with a course of action. They must make all information and records available when requested. Clients are encouraged to be forthright with all files or relevant case information (including facts and records), no matter how undesirable. Carruthers Law can only advise on the information they are equipped with, and acting as a gatekeeper of information may severely impact your desired results. The client is responsible for funding their lawsuit by paying an upfront retainer and ongoing invoices/expenses.
Forming your case: step-by-step
Consultation
During this time, we will review key documents/evidence that outline the client's legal situation; these may be provided beforehand or at the time of the first meeting. We will also define client goals, assess their achievability, outline the next steps, process client identification (and verification), and sign a retainer agreement.
BOOK NOWStep 1Fees
For each task within the file, Carruthers Law will estimate the cost based on an hourly rate and related expenses and request a retainer for that amount. That will be the cost for that task, unless unforeseen circumstances arise that will require additional time. All additional costs will be discussed and approved by the client. All invoices will include GST.
Once the task is completed, e.g. providing the client with a draft document or making a court appearance, Carruthers Law will send an invoice and pay the fees from the retainer funds.
A retainer is money that the client provides to Carruthers Law that we hold in trust on the client’s behalf, until it is used to pay our fees.
Get startedStep 2Individual task assignment
A task can be an entire job or one step in a larger file. Each task will be defined: its purpose, time required, completion date, how it will benefit the larger goal, and what steps need to be taken by Carruthers Law and the client.
Contact usStep 3Building your case
Carruthers law will gather all information available regarding your case. Because of many unknown variables, we cannot give your file an exact cost or timeline but will provide a breakdown of the entire file to provide a rough idea of both. Carruthers Law will provide a progress update as tasks are completed; these will summarize what has been accomplished, what remains and what the client has paid in fees so far.
Read MoreStep 4Concluding file creation
Carruthers Law will prepare a final report summarizing the file, outcome and advice regarding outstanding client obligations or pending deadlines.
A final invoice will reflect any remaining retainer returned to the client. At this time, the client will also be given back their materials.