Personal Injury Law:

Although popularized by TV shows and commercials, personal injury lawyers have an important role in society. They help equalize the imbalance of power between plaintiffs (everyday people) and insurance companies.  The term "personal injury lawyer" usually refers to plaintiff-side lawyers - their counterparts on the defence side are usually referred to as "insurance defence lawyers".  Personal Injury lawyers specialize in injury claims such as motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and fall accidents, trip and fall accidents, bicycle accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, dog bites, product liability, medical malpractice, long-term disability claim denials and many more. Lawyers who specialize in certain areas of PI may be called, for example, a Slip and Fall Lawyer, Dog Bite Lawyer or Car Accident Lawyer.  Personal Injury Lawyer Consultations are available for free - let Key Legal schedule your appointment.

Employment Law:

Employment lawyers also have different classifications.  Some are "employer-side lawyers" and others are "employee-side lawyers."  There are also employment lawyers who specialize in labour law and others who only do workplace investigations. While their titles may seem self-explanatory, these lawyers deal with issues within the workplace.  Employer-side lawyers may provide advice on occupational health and safety, employment relationships, human resources matters, trade secrets and more.  Employee-side lawyers may provide advice on topics affecting employees, such as human rights, discrimination, commencement and termination of the employment relationship. Labour lawyers can assist with matters involving labour unions and collective bargaining. Workplace investigators can help diagnose various workplace problems such as a toxic work environment, harassment or even employee fraud. Employment law consultations are available - let Key Legal schedule your appointment. 

Business Law:

Business lawyers advise on a variety of business matters.  They can help with setting up a corporation, creating Articles of Incorporation and drafting shareholders agreements.  They can also help with matters involving the running of a business, such as the protection of intellectual property, drafting contracts and agreements, policies, collection of unpaid debts, loans and invoices, and negotiating arrangements with vendors.  A wide range of work is undertaken by business lawyers, including work relating to tax law, mergers and acquisitions, industry specific law, securities, corporate governance and more.  Business litigation lawyers can assist with business disputes, including those requiring attendances in court.  Business Law consultations are available - let Key Legal schedule your appointment.

Family Law:

Family lawyers help with all legal matters that may arise within the family unit.  They may provide advice on child protection matters, such as those matters involving Children's Aid Societies.  They may also advise on child custody and child support issues. Some family lawyers specialize in collaborative family law, where there is an emphasis on resolving disputes outside the courtroom to help maintain family bonds and relationships.  Mediation is often helpful to try to narrow down or resolve the issues in dispute to minimize the harm to both parties as well as the financial costs of a full trial.  Not all family law matters involve conflict however.  Cohabitation agreements (and pre-nups) are often discussed during happier times, such as when a couple decides to move in together or are planning to get married.  Should a couple decide to separate or divorce, a family lawyer is often needed to deal with the division of assets or spousal support issues, unless the parties can resolve the issues on their own. Family Law consultations are available - let Key Legal schedule your appointment.

Real Estate Law:

Real estate lawyers are best known for doing the paperwork and due diligence required for the purchase and sale of property.  They will review the agreement of purchase and sale and make sure that there is good title to the property, if you're the buyer.  They will also confirm that there are no liens or encumbrances on the title that may affect the value of the asset.  Real estate lawyers can also specialize in condo law, to help you navigate condo bylaws, municipal matters, condo management, reserve funds, construction deficiencies or building issues. Real estate lawyers are also needed for mortgage refinancing.  For convenience, many real estate lawyers now offer mobile signing, which means they'll come to you. Real Estate law consultations are available - let Key Legal schedule your appointment.

Wills and Estates Law:

Wills and estates lawyers can help you plan for the future.  It's important to have a Power of Attorney for Property and Personal Care so that if you become incapacitated, you can decide who can make financial and personal care/medical decisions for you should you be unable to do so yourself.  A wills and estates lawyer can also help you prepare a last will and testament.  A will can ensure that your wishes are clear and will also name an executor of your estate. This can spare your family the heartache and minimize potential disputes.  Proper estate planning, including family trusts and succession planning can help reduce legal costs later on. A lawyer can also assist you with whether or not an application for probate is needed and if so, to help you apply for probate in Ontario. Wills and Probate consultations are available - let Key Legal schedule your appointment.

Immigration Law:

Immigration lawyers provide advice on all immigration and refugee matters and help guide you through the process. Immigration and refugee procedures are often very complicated and lengthy. An immigration lawyer helps analyze and determine the best and most efficient option, and ensures no errors that may void your application. They can help you with applications for express entry, family sponsorships, work permits, study permits, citizenship and more. Even for inadmissibility conditions and removal orders, immigration lawyers can help you appeal to the Immigration and Refugee Board.  Immigration law consultations are available - let Key Legal schedule your appointment.

Criminal Law:

A criminal lawyer can either work for the prosecution or defence.  Criminal defence lawyers represent defendants who are facing criminal charges. Defendants can be individuals or organizations. Criminal lawyers assist with bail hearings.  Afterwards, they can assist with pre-trial preparations.  That includes assessing the case, doing a thorough review of the evidence (disclosure) against the accused, and provides insight into how strong or weak the Crown's case is. They may also have meetings or discussions with opposing counsel to potentially resolve the matter. Finally, criminal lawyers can represent you in court or appeal a decision.  Lawyers who handle criminal cases typically handle various types of offences, including theft, fraud, controlled substances, DUI, assault and murder. Criminal law consultations are available - let Key Legal schedule your appointment.

Small Claims Court:

Many litigation lawyers either do small claims work as part of their practice, or specialize in litigation within the Small Claims Court.  As a branch of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Small Claims Court hears matters with a claimed value of under $35,000.00.  While the Small Claims Court system is designed to be user-friendly, many litigants would still prefer to either hire a lawyer or paralegal to accompany them to settlement conferences or to represent them at trial.  Even for initial steps such as the drafting of the Plaintiff's Claim or Defence, it is helpful to have a small claims court lawyer who is experienced in knowing what to plead and what to include within these documents.  A lawyer can also assist you with determining what documents to include as part of the evidence in your case. Small Claims Court consultations are available - let Key Legal schedule your appointment.

Long-Term Disability Denials or Critical Illness Denials:

LTD, as it is frequently called, is a type of disability benefit that is privately funded and helps protect you should you be unable to work. Critical Illness is another form of private insurance that provides you with certain benefits should you become sick with one of the insured illnesses in your policy.  Both of these insurance plans are designed to provide you with some financial security in case of illness/injury.  Lawyers who specialize in disputing LTD denials also often practice personal injury law. Insurance companies often ask for lots of medical and other information to adjust a claim. If they review your documents and deny your benefits, you can appeal or sue the insurer in court for benefits you are entitled to.  Either way, a long-term disability lawyer or critical illness denial lawyer can help you fight a denial of benefits from an insurance policy to which you or your employer have diligently paid premiums over time. Long-Term Disability consultations are available free - let Key Legal schedule your appointment. 

Litigation and Lawsuits:

Litigation lawyers are trained in what is typically known as "barrister" work in common law countries, and is the type of lawyer that is commonly portrayed on television (along with criminal lawyers) as lawyers arguing in a courtroom.  These lawyers specialize in advocacy, either in court or in negotiations outside court. Litigation lawyers are an important part of any case as they are trained in both written and oral advocacy.  Whether they are drafting a Statement of Claim or Statement of Defence, litigation lawyers can ensure that your pleadings comply with the Rules of Civil Procedure. They can represent you at Examinations for Discovery, Mediations, Pre-Trials and at an eventual Trial. There are a lot of rules and timelines in litigation, and missing any of these could be fatal to your case, so consulting a lawyer who specializes in courtroom work or lawsuits is important to ensure that your rights are protected. Litigation lawyers consultations are available - let Key Legal schedule your appointment. 

Landlord and Tenant:

The Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (also known as LTB) adjudicates many claims relating to issues between tenants and landlords. Some of these disputes also go to the Small Claims Court.  Tenants often need lawyers to help deal with problem landlords, such as those who fail to do proper pest control, fail to maintain the property or otherwise breach the rental agreement.  Landlords may need lawyers to go after tenants for non-payment of rent, evictions or damaged property. The Residential Tenancies Act has provisions which govern the relationship between landlord and tenant. Each year, there are guidelines that dictate how much a landlord can increase rent on certain properties. If a landlord wants to increase rent above that amount, the landlord will need to bring an application before the LTB to decide on the matter.  Landlord and tenant board lawyers can help both landlords and tenants resolve their issues either through a hearing at the tribunal or by helping parties resolve their issues outside a tribunal or court.  Landlord and Tenant law consultations are available - let Key Legal schedule your appointment.