Terms of Use

1. Purpose of ScarboroughLawyers.com

ScarboroughLawyers.com is intended to help members of the public locate lawyers who are available to provide legal services to clients in Scarborough and surrounding areas.

Lawyers participating in the Service may or may not maintain a physical office in Scarborough. References on the Website to lawyers serving Scarborough mean that those lawyers have indicated that they are available to provide legal services to clients in the area.

The Website allows users to identify the general area of law in which assistance is required, review or select participating lawyers where available, and submit an inquiry that may be forwarded to an appropriate lawyer or law office.

ScarboroughLawyers.com does not guarantee that a lawyer will be available or willing to accept any particular matter.

2. ScarboroughLawyers.com Is a Referral Service

ScarboroughLawyers.com facilitates introductions between members of the public seeking legal assistance and independent lawyers or law offices.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, ScarboroughLawyers.com does not itself provide legal services through the Website.

Submitting an inquiry does not mean that ScarboroughLawyers.com, its owner or operator, or any lawyer appearing on the Website has agreed to represent you.

3. No Lawyer-Client Relationship Created by Using the Website

Your use of the Website, including submitting an inquiry, receiving information about a lawyer, or having your information forwarded to a lawyer or law office, does not by itself create a lawyer-client relationship.

A lawyer-client relationship will only arise when a lawyer or law firm agrees to act for you and any requirements established by that lawyer or law firm for accepting the retainer have been satisfied.

You should not assume that a lawyer is acting for you until the lawyer has expressly confirmed that they have agreed to do so.

4. No Legal Advice

Information provided on ScarboroughLawyers.com is provided for general informational purposes only.

Nothing on the Website constitutes legal advice, and information on the Website should not be relied upon as a substitute for advice from a lawyer concerning your particular circumstances.

Legal rights and obligations depend upon the specific facts of each matter and the law applicable at the relevant time.

5. Lawyers Are Independent Professionals

Lawyers and law firms participating in ScarboroughLawyers.com are independent legal professionals.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, they are not employees, partners, agents or representatives of ScarboroughLawyers.com.

Each lawyer is independently responsible for:

• determining whether they are able and willing to accept a matter;
• conducting appropriate conflict checks;
• determining whether a lawyer-client relationship will be established;
• providing competent legal advice and legal services;
• establishing the terms of the retainer;
• determining and disclosing their legal fees and disbursements; and
• complying with their professional and regulatory obligations.
• Lawyers practising in Ontario are regulated by the Law Society of Ontario and are subject to applicable professional obligations.

6. Your Choice of Lawyer

You are always free to choose your own lawyer.

You are under no obligation to retain a lawyer identified, listed, suggested or contacted through ScarboroughLawyers.com.

Where the Website presents more than one lawyer who may be able to assist you, the decision as to which lawyer, if any, you wish to contact or retain remains yours.

You may also choose to retain a lawyer who does not participate in ScarboroughLawyers.com.

7. Referral Fees and Relationships With Participating Lawyers

ScarboroughLawyers.com may be operated by or associated with an Ontario lawyer or law firm and may receive a referral fee or other permitted consideration when a matter is referred to another lawyer or law firm.

Where a referral fee is applicable, the referral will be subject to the applicable requirements of the Law Society of Ontario, including any requirements concerning disclosure, client consent and referral agreements.

Any referral fee is a matter between the participating lawyers and will not increase the legal fees payable by the client as a result of the referral fee.

Where required, you will be provided with information concerning the referral arrangement before or at the time the referral is made and will be asked to complete any documentation required by the Law Society of Ontario.

The possibility that a referral fee may be payable does not affect your right to select another lawyer.

8. No Guarantee or Endorsement

The inclusion, listing, identification or presentation of a lawyer on ScarboroughLawyers.com does not constitute a guarantee concerning that lawyer or the outcome of any legal matter.

ScarboroughLawyers.com does not guarantee:

• that any lawyer will accept your matter;
• that a particular lawyer is the best lawyer for your circumstances;
• the quality or outcome of legal services provided;
• that a particular legal strategy will succeed;
• the amount of any recovery, settlement or award;
• the amount of legal fees that may ultimately be charged; or
• the time required to resolve a legal matter.
• Any decision to retain a lawyer is ultimately yours.

9. Lawyer Profiles and Information

ScarboroughLawyers.com may display information concerning participating lawyers, including areas of practice, biographies, professional experience, languages, locations, contact information and other information.

Although reasonable efforts may be made to maintain accurate information, ScarboroughLawyers.com does not warrant that all lawyer profile information is complete, accurate or current.

Participating lawyers are responsible for the accuracy of information they provide concerning their practices and qualifications.

Users should independently satisfy themselves that a lawyer is appropriately licensed and suitable for their needs.

10. Conflicts of Interest

The submission of an inquiry does not mean that a lawyer is able to act for you.

Before accepting a matter, a lawyer may be required to conduct a conflict-of-interest check.

A lawyer may therefore be unable to act for you even after receiving your inquiry.

Until a lawyer confirms that they are able and willing to act, you should not assume that the lawyer has accepted your matter.

11. Confidentiality of Inquiries

ScarboroughLawyers.com recognizes that inquiries concerning legal matters may contain sensitive information.

Information submitted through the Website will be treated as confidential and handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Information may be provided to the lawyer or law office you select, or to whom you authorize us to direct your inquiry, for the purpose of determining whether that lawyer or law office may be able to assist you.

However, submitting information through the Website does not necessarily create solicitor-client privilege.

You should therefore provide only the information reasonably necessary to describe the general nature of your matter until a lawyer has confirmed that they are able to communicate with you concerning your matter.

12. Privacy

Our collection, use, storage and disclosure of personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms of Use.

By submitting information through the Website, you acknowledge that your information may be collected, used and disclosed as described in the Privacy Policy and any consent presented to you when you submit your inquiry.

13. Do Not Send Unnecessary Highly Sensitive Information

Unless specifically requested by a lawyer who has agreed to communicate with you concerning your matter, you should not submit information such as:

• passwords;
• credit or debit card numbers;
• online banking credentials;
• Social Insurance Numbers;
• passport numbers;
• highly sensitive medical records;
• confidential business records; or
• other information that is unnecessary for the initial referral.

14. Deadlines and Urgent Matters

Do not rely upon submitting an inquiry through ScarboroughLawyers.com to protect a legal deadline.

Legal matters may be subject to limitation periods, filing deadlines, closing dates, court dates, appeal periods, response deadlines and other time-sensitive requirements.

Submitting an inquiry through the Website does not stop or extend any limitation period or other deadline.

If your matter is urgent, you are responsible for obtaining legal assistance promptly and for ensuring that all applicable deadlines are protected.

ScarboroughLawyers.com does not guarantee that an inquiry will be reviewed or answered within any particular period.

15. Emergencies

ScarboroughLawyers.com is not an emergency service.

If you require immediate assistance because of an emergency, immediate danger or other urgent circumstances, you should contact the appropriate emergency service or governmental authority rather than relying upon the Website.

16. Fees for Legal Services

ScarboroughLawyers.com does not determine the legal fees charged by independent participating lawyers unless expressly stated otherwise.

Any legal fees, retainers, disbursements, taxes and other charges relating to legal services are matters between you and the lawyer or law firm you choose to retain.

You should discuss fees directly with the lawyer before retaining them.

17. No Guarantee of Availability

Submitting an inquiry does not guarantee that a lawyer will respond, be available, accept your matter or be able to assist you within your required timeframe.

Where a selected lawyer is unavailable, ScarboroughLawyers.com may, with your consent where required, assist you in identifying another lawyer who may be available.

18. Appropriate Use of the Website

You agree to use the Website only for lawful purposes.

You must not:

• knowingly provide false or misleading information;
• impersonate another person;
• submit information for fraudulent or unlawful purposes;
• interfere with the operation or security of the Website;
• attempt to obtain unauthorized access to the Website or its systems;
• introduce malicious software, viruses or harmful code;
• use automated systems to scrape, copy or harvest Website content or user information;
• use the Website to harass, threaten or harm another person; or
• use the Website in a manner that violates applicable law.
• We reserve the right to restrict or terminate access to the Website where we reasonably believe it is being misused.

19. Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise indicated, the Website and its content, including its text, design, graphics, logos, layout and original materials, are owned by or licensed to ScarboroughLawyers.com and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

You may view and print Website materials for your personal, non-commercial use.

You may not reproduce, republish, distribute, modify, sell or commercially exploit substantial portions of the Website without prior written permission.

20. Third-Party Websites and Resources

The Website may contain links to third-party websites, including lawyer and law-firm websites, government websites, courts, legal organizations and other resources.

These links are provided for convenience only.

ScarboroughLawyers.com does not control and is not responsible for the content, availability, privacy practices, security or accuracy of third-party websites.

Access to third-party websites is at your own risk and subject to the terms and policies applicable to those websites.

21. Website Availability and Security

Reasonable efforts may be made to keep the Website available and secure, but uninterrupted or error-free operation cannot be guaranteed.

ScarboroughLawyers.com may suspend, modify, discontinue or restrict all or part of the Website at any time, including for maintenance, security or operational reasons.

No electronic system or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

22. Disclaimer of Warranties

To the extent permitted by law, the Website and Service are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

ScarboroughLawyers.com makes no representation or warranty that:

• the Website will always be available;
• the Website will be free from errors or security vulnerabilities;
• information on the Website will always be complete or current;
• a participating lawyer will accept a matter;
• a lawyer identified through the Website will achieve any particular result; or
• the Service will meet every user's particular requirements.
• Nothing in these Terms excludes any warranty, condition, right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded.

23. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, ScarboroughLawyers.com and its owner, operator, affiliates, employees and agents will not be liable for losses arising solely from:

• your use of or inability to use the Website;
• your reliance upon general information appearing on the Website;
• a lawyer's decision not to accept your matter;
• delays in responding to an inquiry;
• communications or dealings between you and an independent lawyer or law firm;
• legal services provided by an independent lawyer or law firm; or
• third-party websites or services accessed through links on the Website.
• Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude or restrict liability where such exclusion or restriction is prohibited by law.

24. Responsibility for Legal Services

Once you retain a lawyer or law firm, the professional relationship is between you and that lawyer or law firm.

The lawyer or law firm is responsible for the legal services they provide.

ScarboroughLawyers.com does not supervise or control the independent professional judgment of participating lawyers and is not responsible for the manner in which an independent lawyer conducts a client's legal matter.

This provision does not limit any responsibility that cannot lawfully be excluded.

25. Communications

By submitting an inquiry, you authorize ScarboroughLawyers.com to contact you concerning that inquiry and to facilitate communications with the lawyer or law office you select or authorize us to contact.

Submitting an inquiry does not, by itself, constitute consent to receive unrelated commercial electronic messages.

26. Privacy and Electronic Communications

Electronic communications, including email and Website transmissions, carry inherent privacy and security risks.

Although reasonable safeguards may be used, ScarboroughLawyers.com cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted electronically.

Please consult our Privacy Policy for further information concerning how personal information is handled.

27. Changes to the Website

ScarboroughLawyers.com may add, remove or modify lawyers, practice areas, Website features or other aspects of the Service from time to time.

The availability of a lawyer through the Website at one time does not guarantee that the lawyer will continue to participate in the Service.

28. Changes to These Terms

These Terms of Use may be amended periodically.

The current version will be posted on the Website with the date of the most recent update.

Your continued use of the Website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms to the extent permitted by applicable law.

29. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be severed or limited to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will continue in effect.

30. No Waiver

A failure by ScarboroughLawyers.com to enforce any provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other right.

31. Entire Agreement Regarding Website Use

These Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy constitute the agreement between you and ScarboroughLawyers.com concerning your use of the Website.

They do not replace or modify any retainer agreement or other agreement subsequently entered into between you and a lawyer or law firm.

32. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms of Use and your use of the Website are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the applicable federal laws of Canada.

Subject to any rights that cannot lawfully be restricted, disputes relating to the Website or these Terms will be determined by the courts of Ontario.

33. Contact

Questions concerning these Terms of Use may be directed to: