You would likely want to consult Whitehorse lawyers for advice and assistance on:
- Divorce or separation
- Criminal charges
- Drafting a will
- Buying or selling a home
- Buying or selling a business
- Dealing with an estat
- Incorporating a business
- Employment issues
- Personal injury matters
- Motor vehicle accident matters
- Suing or being sued
Whitehorse lawyers are able to engage in a wide variety of activities to meet their client’s needs. They also have ethical obligations to clients. A Whitehorse lawyer’s principal responsibility is to see that each client obtains the benefit of their legal rights and is aware of their legal obligations. Lawyers in Whitehorse have three fundamental obligations. Whitehorse lawyers must:
- Serve clients competently
- Be loyal to clients
- Keep client communications confidential
Additionally, Whitehorse lawyers are required to provide a certain quality of service. The services Whitehorse law firms should provide include:
- Answering legal questions
- Helping clients find answers
- Appearing in court on a client’s behalf
- Mediating disputes
- Counseling clients
- Planning estates
- Administering wills
- Drafting contracts
- Structuring private business deals
- Lobbying government to change laws
- Drafting legislation
- Writing letters and opinions
- Taking steps to avoid litigation
- Negotiating case settlements
- Providing advice about clients’ legal problems and possible outcomes
Can Whitehorse Lawyers and Whitehorse Law Firms be Paid on a Percentage Basis? What is a Contingency Fee?
A contingency fee depends on the outcome of your case. A contingency fee is a contract with a lawyer where the fee paid to the lawyer is a percentage of the amount recovered for your case.
Whitehorse lawyers cannot charge contingency fees for family files or criminal matters. They have an approved contingent fee agreement form and a maximum percentage allowed.
Can Whitehorse Lawyers Advertise?
Whitehorse lawyers should not state the amount of money they recovered for a client or refer to their degree of success in past cases; a further statement must back up the assertion. Whitehorse lawyers and Whitehorse law firms should state that past results are not necessarily indicative of future results and that the amount recovered in cases varies from case to case.
Even the best lawyers in Whitehorse cannot suggest superiority to other Whitehorse lawyers, raise expectations unjustifiably, imply aggressiveness, demean other people, groups, organizations, or institutions, take advantage of vulnerable people, or use testimonials containing emotional appeals.
Whitehorse lawyers and Whitehorse law firms may advertise fees for their services as long as the advertisement is precise and states whether other amounts, such as disbursements or taxes, will be additionally charged. If lawyers advertise their fees charged, they must strictly adhere to the advertised price in every applicable case.
Meeting With Your Whitehorse Lawyer
Use LegalMatch to find the right Whitehorse lawyers for your needs. To get the most out of your appointment with a lawyer, it will help to prepare before the meeting. Come to the meeting ready to provide all the information your Whitehorse lawyer will need. Bring a list of questions you have to the meeting.
Before your meeting:
- Set out the details of your legal matter, detailing facts in order
- Think about or write out the questions you want to ask your lawyer
- Prepare a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of the people involved in your case
- Bring documents about your problem
- Bring your government identity card, driver’s license, treaty card, firearms license, or passport so your Whitehorse lawyer can confirm your identity.
When trying to find the best lawyers in Whitehorse, let your lawyer know if you don’t speak English. You may want to bring someone who speaks and understands English with you to your meeting with your Whitehorse lawyer.
How Do I Know if My Complaint Against a Whitehorse Lawyer is Valid?
Each person must decide for themselves whether or not to file a complaint. The Law Society of Whitehorse is not permitted to answer this question for you, but reading about the complaint process may help you decide whether you should file a complaint against your Whitehorse lawyer.
The Law Society of Yukon accepts and investigates many types of complaints against Whitehorse lawyers. Once received, complaints are assessed by the Registrar of Complaints, who will write back to you to inform you whether or not the complaint will proceed. If the Registrar feels the complaint is without merit, an investigation will be conducted. The Registrar will never inform Whitehorse lawyers or Whitehorse law firms of your complaint.
How Long Will Whitehorse Lawyers Retain My Documents?
According to the Rules of the Law Society of Yukon, a Whitehorse lawyer must retain a record of the information and any documents obtained for the duration of the attorney-client relationship and for as long as necessary for the purpose of providing services to a client or six years following the completion of the work for which the Whitehorse lawyer was retained.
How Can I Find Out if Whitehorse Lawyers Have Had Complaints Filed Against Them?
On the Law Society of Yukon’s discipline cases page, you can find a Whitehorse lawyer’s public history. All public complaints against Whitehorse lawyers are listed there. If the Whitehorse lawyer you are inquiring about is not listed on the page, then there are no public discipline matters relating to that lawyer.
Private discipline proceedings may or may not exist, but they would not be included on the discipline cases page. Without the lawyers’ consent, the Yukon Law Society staff cannot discuss any matter that does not appear on the discipline cases page or even disclose whether or not there are additional matters listed.
How Do I Make a Financial Claim Against Whitehorse Lawyers?
If you believe you have suffered a financial loss from working with a Whitehorse lawyer or as a consequence of the services provided by your lawyer due to negligence or theft, you may be entitled to make a malpractice claim.
To make a claim, you may write a letter to the Yukon Law Society with the following information:
- The name of the Whitehorse lawyer and law firm
- The Whitehorse lawyer’s file number, if you know it
- The legal service provided (i.e., estates and trusts, divorce, personal injury claim)
- The date of services
- What you think the lawyer did wrong
- How the wrong resulted in financial loss to you
- Any documentation and explanation of the financial loss
- Your address and phone number
If the Yukon Law Society receives a letter from you, they will investigate your claim. This may take several weeks. Although you are not required to hire a lawyer to represent you in presenting your claim, it is recommended and encouraged.
Where Can I Find the Best Lawyers in Whitehorse?
You can use LegalMatch to search our attorney directory for information about Whitehorse lawyers. Our database provides information about Whitehorse law firms. Use LegalMatch to find Whitehorse lawyers who specialize in criminal, family, and corporate law.