Do you aspire to be a paralegal? If so, you might already be preparing for the job. However, before you take up the responsibility of providing the best paralegal Toronto services as a full-time job, there are a few things you must know. At SW Legal Service PC, we have worked for several years by providing the best paralegal Toronto service to our clients. And during this time, we have never compromised the professional ethics associated with our job. Yes, that’s right! As a paralegal student, you might not realize it, but there are 4 professional ethical rules that you mustn’t break as a paralegal.
Here’s a quick rundown.
- Entering an attorney-client relationship is a strict no-no
Yes, we know that as a paralegal, you will be the first point of contact for all the clients. However, you must never become an active part of an attorney-client relationship. To provide the best paralegal Toronto services, you need to respect the fact that the client would want to discuss crucial details with their attorney in confidentiality. And you need to stay away from any such confidential conversation between the client and their attorney.
- Don’t discuss the fees
As mentioned above, the client-attorney relationship is confidential and must be maintained so. And this includes not discussing the fees with the client as a paralegal. Discussing the fee is a crucial part of the client-attorney relationship. And many times, clients bring this discussion with a paralegal. However, you must have the skills to deflect the topic and direct them to the attorney for discussing the fees.
- Don’t give clients the impression that you can provide legal representation in court
While you are providing the best paralegal Toronto services, don’t give your clients the impression that you will represent them in court. Your duties as a paralegal end by providing crucial information to the client and attorney helping them build up the case. The duties don’t extend to the court, and you must maintain so. This is especially important for freelance paralegals.
- Don’t provide legal advice
The definition of legal advice is left for interpretation thus making it hazy and unclear. And hence, as a paralegal, you should never provide legal advice or stay away from making any comment on the case. You mustn’t even comment on the complexity of the case. Just stick to providing and gathering facts!
At SW Legal Service PC, we take our duty of offering the best paralegal Toronto services quite seriously. And hence, we diligently follow these professional ethics rules.
To get to know more about our services or to start working with us, contact our team now.