Virtual law firm serving clients across Ontario
Independent legal advice
You have been asked to sign a legal document, and the other party requires confirmation that you understand its terms and legal consequences and that you are signing voluntarily, without pressure. Independent legal advice provides that assurance through a lawyer who represents your interests alone, independently of every other party to the transaction.
What we do
Usually one meeting, with a certificate at the end.
Independent Legal Advice
Worth knowing
ILA is a protection for you, even when someone else is asking for it.
The certificate confirms you understood the document and signed freely. If after our review you decide not to sign, that is a legitimate outcome and we will not pressure you otherwise.
We do not act for the lender, the other spouse, the family member or the business partner. If we already act for another party in the same matter, we cannot provide ILA and will say so.
There is little value in seeing a guarantee, spousal consent or separation-related document for the first time on the call. Advance review is what makes the advice worth having.
Common questions
Lenders commonly require it when someone is guaranteeing a loan or consenting to a mortgage without being the borrower, so there is a record that the person understood what they signed.
No. That is the point of independence. Each party needs their own lawyer with no relationship to the other side.
Usually a single appointment once we have reviewed the document. Send it in advance and the meeting itself is normally short.
We quote in writing before the appointment. It is generally a fixed fee for the review, the meeting and the certificate.
