What to Expect When You Call Franklin Law

When you call or email Franklin Law, your first point of contact will be the Office Administrators. We know that taking the first step to contact a lawyer can be the most daunting, especially when you’re already dealing with stressful or traumatic situations in your workplace, or wherever you feel you are being mistreated. That is why we strive to ensure that you have all the information necessary to decide whether we’re a good fit for you. That means making our consultation fees crystal clear, telling you what to expect from the consultation process, and making sure you understand next steps. 

We want you to feel comfortable with the idea of meeting with a knowledgeable, committed, and caring employment, human rights, or labour lawyer who will assist you in navigating an often confusing legal framework.  This might mean providing you with summary legal advice at the beginning of your legal journey, or representing you throughout the process to a hearing.

Here are some pieces of information that would be great to have on hand when you contact us:

• Your name and phone number;
• Whether your situation is about your employment, your union, or your human rights (or all of the above!);
• The name of your union, if you have one;
• The name of your employer (we don’t disclose that information to anyone);
• A few sentences about your situation, including why you think you need legal help.

A few things to keep in mind when you contact us:

1. Initial consultations are paid. This is because when you meet with a Franklin Law lawyer, you will be meeting someone who wants to know more about your matter, and who is invested in getting the best result for you. “Free 30 minute consultations” can be rushed, impersonal, and leave you discouraged if you feel as though nobody is listening. At Franklin Law, listening is a priority. It is your time to tell your story. We offer two types of consultations: Consultation Clinics at a discounted rate and Traditional Consultations.
2. We specifically ask if you are unionized. Many employment lawyers do not represent unionized workers, but we can represent some – not all, however, which is why we ask. If we can’t book an appointment for you, it is because of a conflict of interest between our firm and the union, which prevents us from meeting with you. If this ends up being your case, we will happily refer you to another lawyer.
3. The Office Administrators are not lawyers. They can’t answer your legal questions over the phone. Their job is to tell you what services we offer, and give you all the time and space you need to decide if what our lawyers can do actually works for you. They also cannot directly transfer you to a lawyer if you are not a client, as the lawyers can’t answer questions without knowing your situation. The first step to receiving legal advice is to meet for a consultation.
4. We strongly prefer in-person consultations. We want to meet you! Meeting face to face can result in a more fulsome and comforting experience, especially if it is your first time speaking with a lawyer. However, in line with our commitment to accessibility, we do make exceptions if there is a human rights matter that prevents you from coming into the office. This might include a disability-related reason, caring for a family member, or another matter requiring accommodation.
5. If you get our voice mail, try emailing! Most likely it’s because we stepped away from the desk for a moment. Our email is consultation@franklinlaw.ca. We may respond to an email much faster than voice mail.

We would like to hear from you

We hope this answered some questions you might have when you think about contacting Franklin Law. If you like what you’ve read, we encourage you to give us a call at 416-572-8525, send an email at consultation@franklinlaw.ca, or chat with us on our website to book a consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!

~written by Taneeta Doma