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Ontario|Legal Organizations & Law SchoolsLegal Organizations & Law Schools 869 Lawyer vs. Paralegals (Agents) In some circumstances, the laws of Ontario allow people who are not lawyers to act on your behalf in a legal matter. These persons are usually called paralegals or agents. They are at the present time unregulated and usually uninsured for professional misconduct or negligence. Unlike lawyers, who have years of legal training and who must follow the Rules of Professional Conduct, paralegals and agents are not necessarily well trained nor are they held to a standard of care. If they make a mistake, there is very little you can do other than sue them or the company they work for.
There are some circumstances where unsupervised paralegals can be helpful. These circumstances generally include: minor motor vehicle offences where there is no risk of imprisonment or seizure of an automobile, and in the representation of persons before some minor administrative tribunals, such as landlord tenant matters. Consumers should be careful before they hire an unsupervised paralegal or agent to represent them.
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