Paralegals, like lawyers, are legal consultants and representatives licensed by the Law Society of Upper Canada. Unlike lawyers, paralegals specialize in a narrower spectrum of legal services. For example, while Access Legal Services focuses on accident benefits claims and work-related accidents, our paralegals are barred from handling matters before Superior Court of Justice and higher courts. Luckily, most Canadians will never get exposed to proceedings before courts other than Provincial Offences, Small Claims and administrative tribunals.

The Law Society allows licensed paralegals to provide legal advice and representation and draft legal documents for matters:

• in Small Claims Court, including claims of up to $25,000 excluding legal costs and disbursements
• in the Ontario Court of Justice under the Provincial Offences Act, including traffic and auto insurance offences, fishing & hunting license violations, and municipal by-laws violations
• on summary conviction offences where the maximum penalty does not exceed six months’ imprisonment, such as disorderly conduct, harassing telephone calls, indecent acts, public nudity, etc.
• before administrative tribunals, including the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, License Appeal Tribunal, Work Safety Insurance Board, and over 200 other tribunals in Ontario alone.

Concentration on WSIB and FSCO claims provides Access Legal Services paralegals with the ability to provide specialized, cost-effective and client-oriented services, providing a definite advantage to our clients.