Complaint Form
Information Sheet
What types of complaints will the Law Society deal with?
As the regulator of the legal professions in Ontario, we receive and respond to written complaints
about lawyers and paralegals licensed by the Law Society. We also respond to information about
unlicensed practitioners who are providing legal services or practising law.
We deal with a range of professional conduct matters. Examples include delay, failure to reply to
communications, rude and discriminatory behaviour, not accounting for money or improperly handling it,
and not reporting on a transaction.
We cannot assist with every kind of complaint; there are some things we do not have the legal authority to
deal with.
After we review your Complaint Form, we will let you know if we are able to help.
Here is some information about other resources you can consider even if the Law Society is not able to
help you.
If you need legal services, you need to contact a lawyer or licensed paralegal.
If you believe the fees charged by your lawyer were too high, contact the Assessment Office of the
Ontario Superior Court of Justice. If you believe the fees charged by your paralegal were too high,
you may wish to contact the Small Claims Court. (Currently the jurisdiction of the Small Claims Court
is limited to claims of $35,000 or less.)
In addition to making a complaint to the Law Society you may also wish to explore the availability of
other options, such as the civil and/or criminal justice system. If you believe that the lawyer or
paralegal's conduct may constitute a criminal offence, please consider reporting it to the police.
Please note that the Law Society cannot pay you money or make a lawyer or paralegal pay you money
because of a lawyer or paralegal's mistake. If you believe a lawyer or paralegal has made a mistake, you
will have to deal directly with them or you may have to sue the lawyer or paralegal. You may wish to seek
legal advice about your options.
For more information, visit the 'Public Resources' section of the Law Society website, at http://www.lso.ca
.
Confidentiality
In fairness to the lawyer or paralegal you are complaining about, we will share with them some or all of the
information you give us. We may give copies of documents received from you or any other person to the
lawyer or paralegal you are complaining about. We may also need to share personal information (such as
names, addresses and telephone numbers) with the lawyer or paralegal.
Complaints and investigations are otherwise confidential unless the Law Society has begun regulatory
proceedings.
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What you need to do
Complete the Complaint Form.
If the space provided for any answer is insufficient, include a separate document with further details
when you send it.
1.
2. Gather any documents that relate to your complaint.
Include any documents that you think will help us understand your complaint (and direct us to the
parts that you think are important). Note that we may not be able to access documents through file-
sharing services such as Google Docs, Dropbox or OneDrive.
Law Society of Ontario
Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen Street West Toronto ON M5H 2N6
Attention: Complaints & Compliance
3.
Send the completed Complaint Form with copies of relevant documents (do not send originals) and
any additional details by email to comail@lso.ca or mail to:
What happens next?
We will promptly send you a letter to let you know we received your complaint. Your complaint is assigned
a file number, which will be indicated in the letter.
Each complaint will be carefully reviewed and assessed. For information about this process, visit our
website: https://www.lso.ca/complaints
.
If we cannot help with a complaint or deal with it as a professional conduct matter, we will let you know. We
will keep you informed about the status of your complaint.
Our commitment to a respectful environment
The Law Society is committed to communicating with you in a respectful, professional and civil manner.
Similarly, we expect the same courtesy from others.
We understand that the complaint process and the circumstances that give rise to complaints can be
stressful. However, we will not accept racist, discriminatory or harassing behaviour or profane
communications.
The Law Society is required by law to protect staff from harassing, discriminatory and threatening
behaviour. Please note that repeated behaviour of this kind will result in the Law Society restricting
communications or no longer communicating with you beyond advising you of the outcome of your
complaint.
Questions?
If you have any questions about how to file your complaint, please call the Client Service Centre at
416-947-3310 or 1-800-268-7568. Please note we cannot discuss your personal situation until you have
provided your Complaint Form to us.
With very limited exceptions, you must bring your complaint to us within three years of the date the problem
occurred or the date that you became aware of it.
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FOR OFFICE USE ONLY
File Number
Lawyer/Paralegal Name
Law Society Number
If the space provided for any answer is insufficient, include a separate document with further details
when you send the Complaint Form.
1. Information about you (the "Complainant")
Are you complaining for yourself or on behalf of a company or other entity?
Yourself
Company/Other Entity
Complainant Name
First Name Middle Name Last Name
Salutation
Mr. Ms. Mrs. Dr. Other (Specify)
Mailing Address
Number, Street, P.O. Box, Unit/Apartment Number
City
Province/Territory
Postal Code
Contact Information
Home Phone Work Phone Cell/Contact Phone Fax Number
Personal Email Work Email
May we contact you at work?
Yes No
Company Information (if applicable)
Company Name
Contact First Name
Contact Last Name Contact Position
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Ontario
2. Information about the lawyer or paralegal you are complaining about
Select if you are complaining about more than one lawyer or paralegal
NOTE: Attach a separate Complaint Form for each lawyer or paralegal that you are complaining about.
Lawyer or Paralegal
Lawyer Paralegal Unknown
Name and Contact Information
First Name Last Name Work Phone
Mailing Address
Number, Street, P.O. Box, Unit/Apartment Number
City
Province/Territory
Postal Code
3. Complainant and lawyer or paralegal relationship
a. What is your relationship to the lawyer or paralegal you are complaining about?
Examples can include: client, client of opposing lawyer or paralegal, opposing lawyer or paralegal,
employed by lawyer or paralegal, family member, other (specify)
b. Did you hire this lawyer or paralegal?
Yes No
If you hired this lawyer or paralegal:
If there are any documents that show you hired the lawyer or paralegal, please attach a copy.
(For example: retainer agreement, letter, cheque payable to the lawyer or paralegal.)
When was the lawyer or paralegal hired?
What was the lawyer or paralegal hired to do?
Is the matter completed?
Yes No
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Ontario
Is the lawyer or paralegal still working for you?
Yes No
If you did not hire this lawyer or paralegal:
Who did/does the lawyer or paralegal act for?
How are you involved?
If the person you are complaining about is not your lawyer or paralegal, do you have your own lawyer or
paralegal?
Yes No
Name and Contact Information for Your Lawyer or Paralegal (if applicable)
First Name
Last Name Work Phone
May we speak to your lawyer or paralegal about this complaint?
Yes No
c. What area of law/legal services does your complaint relate to? (Select all that apply)
Real Estate
Civil Litigation
Corporate / Commercial / Business
Matrimonial / Family
Administrative / Immigration
Estates / Wills
Other - Specify:
If you are complaining about an estate:
Are you the Estate Trustee or the Executor?
Yes No
If no, who is the Estate Trustee or the Executor?
Are you a beneficiary?
Yes No
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d. Does your complaint involve a matter before a Court or a tribunal?
Yes No
What is the name of the Court or tribunal? (For example, Ontario Court of Justice, Small Claims Court,
Landlord and Tenant Board.)
What city is the Court or tribunal located in?
What is the Court or tribunal file number? (If known)
What is the status?
Ongoing Complete
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4. Your complaint
a. Please tell us about your complaint (4,000 characters maximum)
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b. Please list the documents you are sending. (NOTE: Do not send originals.)
(4,000 characters maximum)
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c. What do you hope will happen as a result of your complaint? (4,000 characters maximum)
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5. Acknowledgment and Consent
Before completing this Acknowledgment and Consent, please make sure you read the attached
Information Sheet.
By checking this box, I confirm that I am the Complainant named in Section 1, and that I have read
and understand the following:
I understand that the Law Society will share some or all of the information and documents that it
receives from me and other parties with the lawyer or paralegal complained about.
I agree to the Law Society sharing and providing copies of information and documents that it receives
from me with the lawyer or paralegal complained about. I understand that if I do not agree, the Law
Society may be unable to process my complaint.
I understand that the Law Society may not be able to process my complaint without supporting
documents. I have attached copies of documents that support my complaint.
I understand that the Law Society may keep digital recordings of voice mail messages as part of the
complaint file.
Name of Complainant Date Completed
Signature of Complainant
Note: If you are filing this complaint for another person who was the lawyer's or paralegal's client or who
was the party directly affected by the lawyer's or paralegal's conduct, we may need a signed authorization
from this other person in order to proceed with the complaint. There is an authorization form (PDF)
available on our website. (You do not need a file number to complete the form.) If you hold power of
attorney for the other person, you can include a copy of the power of attorney with the Complaint Form.
If you have any questions about how to file your complaint, please call the Client Service Centre at
416-947-3310 or 1-800-268-7568. Please note: We cannot discuss your personal situation until you
have provided your Complaint Form to us.
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