Closing your file with Crossroads Law
What to expect when we close your file
Upon the resolution of your legal matter, or upon the termination of legal services, your file at Crossroads Law will be closed.
Before we close your file, you will receive a closing letter from your lawyer. This letter will detail their intent to close your file and provide you with important information, documents, and any potential dates / deadlines you should be aware of. Should there be any unbilled time, your lawyer will issue a final statement of account. It is important to note that this final invoice, which will include a $50 file closing fee (covering the digital storage of your file and a USB copy, should you request one), must be paid before we can officially close your file and return your documents.
If there are remaining funds in our secure trust account after closing your file, we will reach out to you to arrange their return. To account for potential remaining disbursements or costs (such as fees related to our withdrawal or disbursements connected to land titles), we retain a $200 hold back for 60 days. Any funds remaining from this hold back will be refunded to you after that 60-day period.
As mandated by the Law Society, we are required to keep electronic copies of your file for up to 10 years. After this period, and unless you have specifically asked us to continue retaining your file under special arrangements, we reserve the right to destroy all file materials without prior notice.
Termination of Legal Services
At all times you have the right, with or without notice, to terminate our services for any reason, subject to your payment of the balance of fees and disbursements owing to us.
Subject to the fulfilment of our obligations to maintain proper standards of professional conduct, we may terminate our services in circumstances such as the following:
- if you fail to reasonably assist us in our legal services on your behalf
- if we are unable to locate you or obtain proper instruction
- if there is a serious loss of confidence between you and your legal representative
- if your lawyer is unable to act competently or with reasonable promptness
- if your instructions conflict with our duties under the Code of Professional Conduct or The Rules of the Law Society
- if we feel our advice to you is being disregarded
- if you fail to provide funds on account of fees or disbursements in accordance with your service agreement
- if your conduct in the matter is dishonourable or motivated primarily by malice
In any of these circumstances, you will be responsible for fees up until the point of termination of representation, notwithstanding any additional costs or fees necessary for your legal representative to formally withdraw and come off the record. We will render a final account, and you will have to pay this and any other outstanding accounts due to us before we will release the file to you, except in unusual circumstances as set out in the Code of Professional Conduct of the Law Society.
