How to become a client of ACL Law
1. Book a Free Initial Consult
The first step is to schedule an initial meeting and complete our intake form.
We offer a free 15-minute initial consult.
Additional time spent with you will be subject to a charge at the lawyer’s current hourly rate.
Please choose a convenience date and time to meet with Carina.
If your matter is urgent or you need assistance scheduling your initial consult, please call 416-907-5652 and speak to reception.
Most of our initial meetings take place by videoconference using Zoom. You will be provided with a link to join the meeting from your preferred device and location.
We can only offer one free initial consult per person. If you book a consult and are unable to make it because your schedule changed, please let us know as soon as possible and reschedule to another time.
No-shows will not be permitted to book a second free initial consult.
2. Complete the Intake Form
If you are booking through the website, you will be asked to provide basic identifying and contact information that we are required to collect from you to provide you with legal services. You will also be asked to why you are looking for legal assistance, to help us understand if ACL law is a good match for your need and how we may assist you.
If you are scheduling the consult in another way, you will be provided with a link to access our intake form and ask that you complete it before the initial meeting.
3. Conflict Check
We require the names of all adversarial parties involved in your matter to make sure that we have no conflicts of interest that would prevent us from assisting you.
In College matters, relevant names typically include the following:
- the individual who filed the complaint,
- your employer(s) or former employer(s)
- the name of the facility who made the report, and
- any other individuals who may be involved in the matter.
Please provide us with all the names to the best of your knowledge before the initial consult takes place.
4. The Initial Meeting
We will meet with you by videoconference (Zoom) to talk about your concerns and what you need assistance with.
During this meeting we will discuss
- your needs and desired outcome
- how we can help you
- the lawyer-client relationship
- our required retainer agreement
- our fees and the required trust retainer deposit
- the next steps if you choose to retain us
In College matters, we can provide you with general information including an overview of the process and what to expect.
During the free initial consult, we unfortunately cannot provide you with legal advice or a prediction about the likely outcome of your case.
All legal advice provided is subject to a charge based on our current hourly rates, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.
5. Review and Sign the Retainer Agreement
Following the initial consult, we will provide you with a Letter of Engagement that outlines what you have asked us to do for you, the applicable fees and required retainer deposit, our billing processes, and other information that is important for you to know when working with us.
We will send the Letter of Engagement to the e-mail address you have provided to us in PDF format and will ask for your electronic signature. Please review the agreement sent to you and sign it.
If you have any questions about the retainer agreement, please let us know.
6. Pay the Trust Deposit
All clients are required to provide us with an upfront retainer deposit to be held in trust, unless they have confirmed legal expense insurance coverage in place.
The amount of the retainer varies and depends on the nature and complexity of your case. Trust deposits are not fee estimates.
Details about the trust deposit applicable in your case are outlines in the Letter of Engagement.
Please pay the retainer deposit, payable to “Carina Lentsch o/a ACL Law in Trust”. We accept e-transfer or credit card for the trust deposit, details of how to make the payment are outlined in our Letter of Engagement.
If you have questions about the required trust deposit or anticipated fees, please let us know.
7. Working Together
Once the retainer is confirmed, we will set you up with our client document portal, ask that you provide us with all relevant documents and let you know about the next steps.
If you have any questions, contact us.
