In Ontario, a Paralegal is a licensed professional who is authorized to provide legal services by the Law Society of Ontario. Legal services are services involving legal matters such as filing, pleading and defending a claim, giving legal advice, or drafting a legal document. This list is not comprehensive and is only meant to give the reader an idea of what the term encompasses.
The legal services provided must be within the Paralegal’s permitted scope of practice. In other words, Paralegals can only provide legal services in certain areas of law, such as Small Claims Court (see article on Scope of Practice).
To become a Paralegal one must go through extensive training at a school that has been accredited by the Law Society of Ontario, work in the field under supervision by a licensee, and pass a rigorous licensing exam and background check before being issued a licence by the Law Society of Ontario.
To check if a person is a licensed Paralegal, you can call the Law Society of Ontario or go online and search the membership directory. This ensures public protection from those falsely holding themselves out as licensees. Unlicensed individuals are not competent to handle your legal needs, as they have not been through the process described above.
You can feel secure in knowing that the Paralegals at Graham Scott Legal Services have successfully completed this process and are ready to help you with your legal needs.
Graham Scott Legal Services 38 Riverwalk Drive Markham, Ontario L6B 0C5
Tel: 647-977-9201 Fax: 647-977-9210 Email: TheTeam@gslaw.ca *BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
