Ultimate Guide to Disability Lawyers in Ontario [Review]

I wrote the Ultimate Guide to Ontario Disability Lawyers for people who are considering hiring a lawyer for a disability claim in Ontario.

This Guide is based on my experience as a disability lawyer, my knowledge of how things work in the legal services industry, and my experience as a consumer of legal services. My intent is to give you an honest review of all your legal options. So you can better understand your options and make the best decisions for your situation.

To be absolutely transparent: My firm (Resolute Legal) is a national disability law firm that gets the majority of its income from fees charged to people we represent in disability claims. However, the truth of the matter is that hiring us or any other law firm may not be the best decision for you. You may be better served to represent yourself, hire a paralegal or non-lawyer advocate or seek out non-profit legal services.

The fact you are reading this Guide tells me you are on the right path. Educating yourself is the best way to have success with your claim and with choosing a lawyer. The better you understand the system, the better decisions you will make.

If you have questions about this Guide or any disability claim issue, call our support team toll-free at 1-888-732-0470.

Keep learning, and I wish you success in your journey,

— David Brannen, disability lawyer & founder, Resolute Legal

Table of Contents

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What Is an Ontario Disability Lawyer?

A disability lawyer is a lawyer who focuses their legal work on disability-related claims involving disability benefits or compensation from insurance companies, government agencies, or employers. An Ontario disability lawyer is simply a disability lawyer licensed to work in Ontario.

There is no official certification for a lawyer to be considered a disability lawyer. So any lawyer can claim to be one or represent people in disability claims and appeals. Personally, I believe that the term “disability lawyer” should be reserved for lawyers who focus exclusively (or near-exclusively) on representing people in disability-related matters. Of course, this is only my opinion. It is certainly possible for any lawyer to competently handle a disability claim even if that’s not their specialty.

It’s hard to verify if a lawyer’s work is focused mainly on disability-related matters. So if you’re looking for someone who mainly practices disability law, you’ll have to do your own research. I explain this further in the seven-step process of hiring a disability lawyer.

Is It Better to Have a Lawyer for a Disability Claim?

This is a very common question that doesn’t have an absolute yes or no answer. Whether it is better for you to have a disability lawyer compared to other options will depend on your individual situation.

All things being equal, I believe it’s safe to say that working with the “right” lawyer will help maximize the chance of success for your disability claim or appeal. This is based on my experience in successfully representing people who were denied disability benefits before they hired a lawyer. In fact, there are some studies from the United States that conclude hiring a lawyer can increase a person’s chances of being approved for disability benefits.

The findings

In 2017, the United States Social Security Administration found that disability claimants with lawyers were 2.9 times more likely to be approved than those without a lawyer. Also, in 2017, a Martindale-Nolo study found that 60% of people with a lawyer got approved for social security disability benefits — compared to a 34% approval rate for those without a lawyer. This study found that lawyers made the biggest impact at the appeals stage as compared to the initial application.

These studies reflect my own experience as a disability lawyer helping thousands of people with disability claims and appeals in Canada. In fact, Resolute Legal’s very first CPP disability client was in a situation where she had lost at a hearing, but we were about to turn things around by improving how her case was presented to the decision-maker. You can read more about this in my article: The Best Story Wins The Secret to Winning Your Disability Claim.

While you will gain an advantage by having the right lawyer, I strongly believe that most people should try to manage their own disability claim in the initial application and appeal stages. Contrary to what you may hear, insurance companies and government agencies do approve people for disability benefits. So you should first try applying and appealing on your own.

How Long Does It Take a Lawyer to Get You Disability Benefits?

I find there are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to hire a lawyer for a disability claim. On one end, there are people who believe that having a lawyer write a threatening letter to the insurance company will result in the approval of a denied claim. On the other end, there are people who fear that hiring a lawyer means the case will take years to reach a decision.

After having helped thousands of people with disability claims, I strongly believe that hiring the “right” lawyer can result in faster approval of your disability claim or appeal. I say the “right” lawyer because not all lawyers are the same. Some will be faster than others simply because they have more experience and/or better office systems and operations management.

More experience equals faster results

Experienced Ontario disability lawyers get faster results because they are better at understanding the full context of the disability claim denial. When they understand the context, it becomes easy to identify what needs to be done to get approval for benefits. When they don’t understand or appreciate the context, they are more likely to take actions that are less effective at securing benefits.

I can only speak to my own experience, but we regularly help people get approved in a matter of weeks or months — not years. Again, the speed at which a lawyer can help you get approval will depend on the context of your situation.

What Are the Problems With Hiring an Ontario Disability Lawyer?

Having helped thousands of people with disability claims and appeals, I am confident that hiring a lawyer is not the right choice for everyone. At Resolute Legal, we believe that, with the right resources, education, and support, the vast majority of people can competently handle their own disability claims and appeals up to a certain point.

If you are considering hiring a lawyer for your disability claim, it’s important to understand some of the common problems. This will help you confirm that hiring a lawyer is the right choice.

Five common problems

Based on my experience, there are five common problems with hiring a lawyer for a disability claim or appeal:

Hiring a lawyer may be an unnecessary expense
You may get overcharged by the lawyer
You may have a bad fit with the lawyer
Lawyers can take longer to do the appeal than if you do it yourself
You will lose some control over the appeal

Alternatives to Ontario Disability Lawyers

While this guide is focused on disability lawyers, it’s important to understand that there are other options available to you. There are three categories of service providers for disability claims and appeals:

Lawyers
Paralegals
Advocates

Even though Resolute Legal fits into the first category, my goal is to educate you about all your options. So, that means teaching you about all categories of service providers.

Lawyers

Lawyers in Canada have to go through three years of law school followed by a one-year apprenticeship. They receive a general legal education that includes training in legal advocacy and writing. Lawyers are heavily regulated and must follow the rules of professional conduct and ethics. A lawyer can represent a person in any type of disability claim or appeal. Lawyers are required to have malpractice insurance to protect clients against financial losses caused by the lawyer’s negligence. There can be a wide range in the level of competence among various lawyers; they gain experience by representing people in disability claims and appeals.

Licensed Paralegals

Paralegals receive one or two years of general legal education. Ontario is the only province in Canada where paralegals are regulated and licensed as legal professionals. This means that paralegals in Ontario must prove they meet the minimum requirements for education and legal knowledge. They must also abide by the rules of professional conduct and ethics, similar to those that lawyers follow.

Paralegals in Ontario can represent disability claimants before tribunals — including the Social Security Tribunal (CPP disability); Social Benefits Tribunal (ODSP and Ontario Works); the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal (WSIB or workers compensation claims); and the Ontario Labour Relations Board (for employment disputes). Like lawyers, licensed paralegals are required to have malpractice insurance to protect clients from financial losses caused by the paralegal’s negligence.

Licensed paralegals can provide a very high level of competence and professionalism in representing people in disability claims. As with lawyers, paralegals gain experience by working on disability claims; there may be a wide range of competence between paralegals based on their individual level of experience or access to a colleague with a high level of experience. Outside of Ontario, non-licensed paralegals fall under the category of disability advocates.

Advocates

Advocates differ from licensed paralegals and lawyers in that they are unlicensed. This means that, unlike lawyers and paralegals, advocates aren’t held to standards for education or competence. They are not required to follow rules of ethics or professional conduct. Advocates are also not required to have malpractice insurance. So there may be no financial compensation for clients who suffer financial losses due to the advocate’s negligence.

Advocates provide a variety of disability claim and appeal services, including filling out disability claim forms and helping people with internal or reconsideration appeals. Some tribunals, like the Social Security Tribunal for CPP disability appeals, allow advocates to represent a person at a tribunal hearing.

Advocates play an important role in helping people with disability claims and appeals. Even though they are unregulated, there are many competent advocates who provide services that are high quality, professional, and ethical.

Who Is the Best Disability Lawyer in Ontario?

This is the question most people want to be answered. But unfortunately, it’s not so easy to choose one person or firm. Being the “best” is subjective, so there isn’t one right answer or consensus for the best Ontario disability lawyer.

It’s important to understand that lawyers in Ontario must follow rules of professional conduct and ethics. These rules also place restrictions on how lawyers can present themselves in marketing and advertising.

Lawyers are prohibited from doing any marketing that makes a false or misleading statement. A lawyer must market their services in a way that is demonstrably true, accurate, and verifiable. Additionally, lawyers are prohibited from using any advertising that suggests they have “qualitative superiority” over other lawyers. In other words, lawyers cannot outright claim to be the best lawyer or say that they are better than other lawyers.

Be wary of awards

One way some lawyers have sought to get around these restrictions is with lawyer awards. These awards are a roundabout way for the lawyer to “prove” that they are the best lawyer. Many of these awards are dubious at best — and in some cases, they’re nothing more than a paid endorsement.

The Ontario Law Society has (rightly) cracked down on these lawyer awards because of how misleading they are to the public. Even awards from seemingly reputable sources can be manipulated by lawyers and law firms. The firm may not be the best in its category — just the best at getting out the vote to win the award.

We address how to compare lawyers below in our seven-step guide to hiring a lawyer. But you should be very wary of making decisions based on lawyer awards or any marketing that suggests the lawyer is the best.

List of Disability Lawyers in Ontario

During consultations with people who are considering hiring a lawyer, I am often asked, “Who are your competitors in Ontario?” If I am not outright asked, I will volunteer the information to the person.

When I give people a list of competitors to consider, I focus on law firms that I know who have at least one lawyer who dedicates 75% or more* of their practice to disability claims from insurance companies, government agencies, and employers.

Here is a partial list of law firms** (in no particular order) that have at least one lawyer whose practice is focused primarily on disability claims and appeals:

MK Disability Lawyers
Share Lawyers
Howie, Sacks & Henry
Waxman and Associates
Kotak Disability Law
Rastin & Associates
Yazdani Law Office
Samfiru Tumarkin
Preszler Law Firm
McGill Law Firm

* Please note that 75% is just the figure I have chosen for the purposes of this guide. A lawyer or firm can do less than this and still be competent to handle a disability claim or appeal.

** This list is to the best of my knowledge. Please contact my office if you know of a law firm that should be added to this list. We will add them once we verify that they meet the “75% disability claims” criteria.

How Can Disability Lawyers in Ontario Help With My Short- or Long-Term Insurance Disability Case?

If the insurance company has denied your short- or long-term disability insurance claim, it’s important to understand your rights and obligations. Depending on your situation, there could be many obligations and deadlines that apply to you. It is important that you take action to secure your employment rights while appealing the denial of disability insurance benefits.

An Ontario disability lawyer can help you in the following ways:

Give you a free consultation to explain your rights and options.
Show you how to enforce your employment rights so you don’t lose your job or medical benefits while appealing the disability insurance denial.
Get your claim file from the insurance company. And identifies the “real” reasons your claim was denied and what actions are needed to win the appeal.
Identify mistakes made by the insurance company.
Identify the best strategy and action plan for your situation
Take over communications with the insurance company, so you don’t have to deal with them anymore.
Write to your doctor to obtain a medical report that addresses the key issues need to win your appeal.
File a lawsuit against the insurance company for wrongful denial of disability benefits, infliction of mental distress, and other financial losses.

How Can Disability Lawyers in Ontario Help With My CPP Disability Case?

First of all: If Service Canada has denied your application for CPP disability benefits, it is critical that you don’t miss the 90-day deadline to appeal.

Your appeal strategy will be different depending on whether you are doing a Reconsideration appeal (with Service Canada) or a Tribunal appeal (to the Social Security Tribunal).

You must take special care when appealing your case to the Social Security Tribunal as there are a couple of technical requirements you must meet. There are tight deadlines for requesting the appeal and submitting documents before the hearing. Your tribunal hearing is essentially your last kick at the can, so you have to get it right. Consult a disability law firm early on in the process. If you wait until your hearing is fast approaching — or worse yet, after you have already lost your hearing — it may be too late for the law firm to help you.

A disability lawyer can help you in the following ways:

Obtain a complete copy of your CPP disability claim file from Service Canada
Identify the best strategy and action plan for your situation
Identify the gaps in evidence
Obtain medical records, reports, and other documents needed to win your appeal
Prepare persuasive written arguments (such as appeal letters and briefs)
Prepare you to testify at the Social Security Tribunal hearing
Attend your Social Security Tribunal hearing to present the evidence and make arguments

How Can an Ontario Disability Lawyer Help With My Employment Case?

Many people with disability claims have other related legal issues involving their employer. Common disability-related claims against employers can include wrongful denial of short- or long-term disability benefits, wrongful termination of employment; harassment; or violation of human rights.

Such claims against the employer have to be coordinated with any disability-related appeals or lawsuits you have against an insurance company or government agency. A disability lawyer can help you identify all of your disability-related claims and coordinate them to maximize your chances of success and recovery of compensation.

Where possible, it’s ideal to have the same lawyer or law firm handle all of your disability-related claims. You want to avoid a situation where you have to hire multiple lawyers or firms that may not be able to coordinate effectively.

A disability lawyer can help you in the following ways:

Explain your employment rights and obligations
Confirm if you are entitled to severance pay or compensation from your employer
Confirm if you have a potential claim against the employer for harassment or violation of human rights
Represent you in a claim or lawsuit against the employer for compensation for severance pay, disability benefits, or harassment
Represent you in a human rights complaint against your employer
Negotiate financial settlements between you and the employer

Disability Claim Resources in Ontario

In some situations, you may have alternatives to hiring a lawyer at a private law firm. Ontario has a number of non-profit organizations that provide legal services to eligible people. Below, I list and review some of the non-profit organizations that provide services and representation to people with disability-related legal issues.

ARCH Disability Law Centre

ARCH Disability Law Centre is a legal clinic that focuses exclusively on disability rights. According to its website, ARCH is dedicated to “defending and advancing the equality rights, entitlements, fundamental freedoms and inclusion of persons with disabilities with low income in Ontario.” ARCH’s services focus on representing people in cases involving accessibility, attendant services, education, transportation, discrimination, and decision-making rights. ARCH is funded through Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) and other donations.

Office of the Worker Advisor

The Office of the Worker Advisor is an independent agency that provides free legal advice and representation to people dealing with workers’ compensation claims. The OWA represents workers at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), the Workplace Safety and Insurance Tribunal (WSIAT) and the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB). The OWA is a non-profit agency funded by the Ontario government.

Legal Aid Ontario

Legal Aid Ontario provides subsidized or free legal services to financially eligible low-income Ontarians through 72 independent legal clinics. It represents people who need to appeal a denial of benefits under the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or the Ontario Works Program (OWP). Some clinics may also handle legal issues involving the Canada Pension Plan or wrongful termination of employment.

Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic

The Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic is an independent legal clinic funded by LAO. It focuses on casework, public education, law reform, research and organizing support for injured workers.

Pro Bono Ontario

Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) strives to remove barriers to justice that people with disabilities may face. They have a toll-free, Ontario-wide advice line that is accessible to all people with disabilities. They also offer employment/long-term disability advice clinics and appeals assistance programs if you choose to represent yourself in your appeal.

Reach

Based in the Ottawa area, Reach offers education and resources as well as independent legal referral services to persons with disabilities. They prioritize access to justice, disability rights, and accommodations for people with all disabilities. With a team of over 200 lawyers and paralegals, Reach can assist with any of the following legal matters: wills and power of attorney, insurance and pension claims, labour and employment relations, personal injury, criminal and civil litigation, immigration, human rights, business and family law. They offer up to 3 hours of free legal services with the option to negotiate for any additional time.

7 Steps to Hiring a Disability Lawyer in Ontario

Step 1: Determine how much legal help you need

Do you need full legal representation where a lawyer handles all aspects of the appeal? Or do you just need legal advice on a key issue so you can handle the appeal on your own?

Situations where you may only need legal advice

You need to prepare your initial application forms for long-term disability benefits. Most people can prepare these forms on their own, but a lawyer can review your forms and give you suggestions. You may be surprised by some of the avoidable mistakes claimants have made because no one helped them.
You want to appeal an initial denial of your claim. A lawyer can identify the key steps or information you need to prepare your appeal. They can help you assess your situation and give you a specific plan for how to approach your appeal. You can then use this plan to represent yourself.

Situations where you might benefit from full representation

Your medical condition prevents you from effectively handling the application or appeals process. And you don’t have someone else to help you.
Your application and first appeal were both denied.
You exhausted all internal appeals and need to file a lawsuit.
The insurance company denied your initial application for coverage reasons (pre-existing condition)

Once you’ve determined your need for legal services, move to the next step.

Step 2: Find out if you have the right to hire a lawyer

Depending on your situation, you may or may not have the right to hire a lawyer.

I am not in a union. You have a right to hire your own lawyer and sue the insurance company or disability benefits plan administrator if they continue to wrongfully deny your appeals.
I am in a union. The collective agreement between your union and your employer may govern your disability benefits and appeals. Some agreements suspend your right to independent legal counsel and require you to use your union’s legal services. In these situations, your appeal must follow the grievance process laid out in the agreement; you don’t have the right to sue the insurance company or disability plan administrator.
However, not all collective agreements work the same way. In fact, most union members have the right to hire an outside lawyer for disability benefits appeals. It depends on the specific wording in your collective agreement and the disability plan documents.
You need to find out if the collective agreement suspends your right to independent legal advice. If you can’t get a clear answer from your documentation or your representatives, you can ask an outside lawyer for advice on how to proceed. The lawyer would need to see your group benefits plan and a copy of your collective agreement.

Once you have clarified your legal rights, move to the next step.

Do you know all your disability-related legal claims? Yes, you may have more than one — maybe even several. Here are the most common:

Short-term disability
Long-term disability
Worker’s Compensation (WSIB)
Canada Pension Plan disability
Disability tax credit
Severance pay from your employer
Creditor disability (for a loan or mortgage)
Harassment or human rights violations

If you have multiple claims related to the same medical condition or disability, you must present a coordinated legal strategy for them all. Having one lawyer or law firm handling all claims will reduce the risk of delays, confusion, and excess costs.

Some Ontario disability lawyers may only offer to represent you in your appeal. If they don’t handle all of your claims, they should at least give you guidance on the rest. Look for lawyers with the experience and willingness to handle all of your disability-related claims together, or find someone who has close relationships with other lawyers and could coordinate with them to represent you for the rest of your claims.

Once you have identified all of your claims, move to the next step.

Step 4: Learn the rules for legal fees

Hiring a lawyer is a large financial commitment. Many lawyers offer a “no-win, no-fee” arrangement — also known as a contingency fee agreement — but you still want to make sure the agreement is fair. There are strict rules for how lawyers can charge clients, especially when it comes to contingency fee agreements. You should know at least these two:

Lawyers must charge a fair and reasonable fee
You’re entitled to receive payment for legal costs if you win your claim or suit

Lawyers must charge a fair and reasonable fee

This requirement can vary by province. Ontario, for instance, has this in its Rules of Professional Conduct:

3.6-1 A lawyer shall not charge or accept any amount for a fee or disbursement unless it is fair and reasonable and has been disclosed in a timely fashion.

Contingency fee agreements have the potential to produce fees that are neither fair nor reasonable. These agreements often set legal fees at 33.3 percent of any monies recovered. If your claim results in a very large settlement with very little work performed by the lawyer, then that 33.3 percent could produce an unfair fee.

If your arrangement has such a percentage, remember that it’s not set in stone. Your lawyer can only take that percentage if doing so results in a fair and reasonable fee under the circumstances.

So what’s “fair and reasonable?”

The Rules of Professional Conduct clarify:

In determining the appropriate percentage or other basis of the contingency fee, the lawyer and the client should consider a number of factors, including the likelihood of success, the nature and complexity of the claim, the expense and risk of pursuing it, the amount of the expected recovery and who is to receive an award of costs.

The Rules of Professional Conduct list other factors as well, including:

The time and effort spent by the lawyer
The difficulty of the matter and its importance to the client
Any special skills or services that come into play
The amount involved and value of the matter(s) at hand
The results obtained
The experience and ability of the lawyer
Any special circumstances such as postponement of payment, the uncertainty of payment, or urgency
Any estimate or range of fees given by the lawyer
The client’s prior consent to the fee

Ultimately, a lawyer can only charge a fair and reasonable fee for the service provided. If the percent formula would result in an unfair fee, then you don’t have to settle for that.

Further reading: How Much Does a Disability Lawyer Cost in Canada?

You’re entitled to payment for legal costs if you win

Should you file a lawsuit and have it ruled in your favour, the insurance company may have to pay a portion of your legal costs in addition to your compensation. “Legal costs” simply means a payment toward your legal fee as dictated by the court. If the ruling goes against you, the court may require you to pay some of the insurance company’s legal costs. Legal costs can be paid on settlement, or a judge can order either side to pay after a trial. This payment could reduce your legal fee by up to 50 percent.

The Rules of Professional Conduct require lawyers to pass any such payments to you — unless the court orders otherwise — or risk professional misconduct charges. This payment won’t become an issue if your case goes to court because a judge will specifically order it. On the other hand, if you reach an out-of-court settlement, you’ll have to make sure you receive the proper payment. We’ve seen lawyers reprimanded and even class-action lawsuits against law firms regarding this issue, so pay close attention!

Lump-sum settlements and legal costs

When you settle out of court, the insurance company will typically make a lump-sum settlement, agreeing to pay X amount with no indication of what portion represents legal costs. Some lawyers may claim that such settlements don’t include legal costs to pass on to the client. We strongly disagree with this view; at the very least, it violates the spirit of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Anyone with a calculator can figure out what portion of a lump sum should go to costs. Legal costs should cover between 25 and 50 percent of the legal fees charged — that’s it.

Once you’ve learned what you need to know about your legal fees, move to the next step.

Step 5: Clarify your goals and service expectations

Before you start speaking with disability lawyers in Ontario, you need to know your goals and service expectations. Do you want monthly payments or a one-time settlement? How do you want to interact with your lawyer – online, by phone or video call, or in person? You must make your goals and service expectations clear to reduce the risk of conflict and dissatisfaction.

Possible outcomes

What do you want to achieve? Generally speaking, filing a lawsuit has four possible outcomes:

The insurance company can voluntarily approve your claim, pay the retroactive money owed, and start making monthly payments to you.
The insurance company can voluntarily agree to a lump-sum settlement where it pays you a one-time sum of money in exchange for your agreement to give up all rights under the long-term disability policy.
If you go to trial and get a ruling in your favour, the judge can order the insurance company to pay all retroactive payments, a portion of your legal expenses, and the rest of your compensation.
If you go to trial and receive a ruling against you, the judge will declare that you don’t qualify for disability benefits and will order you to pay a portion of the insurance company’s legal expenses.

Possible goals

I want my claim approved to receive the back payment and monthly payments. I will continue to deal with the insurance company.
I want to negotiate a lump-sum settlement of all past and future claims so that I no longer have to deal with the insurance company.

Some lawyers and law firms only want that lump-sum settlement. If you choose that as your only goal as well, then you can work with these candidates. However, what if you want monthly payments? Or what if you start out wanting a lump sum and then change your mind? You need to seriously consider these possibilities, regardless of how unlikely they feel to you now.

Please think carefully about hiring anyone who tries to limit you to specific outcomes. You should keep all of your options open. Lump-sum settlements may be easy, but they’re not always in your best interests. A good lawyer will tell you when it’s a bad idea.

Service expectations

Lawyers and law firms get a lot of criticism for poor customer service, and some of it is true. In the past, most law firms expected clients to take time out of their busy days, fighting traffic to reach those posh downtown offices, just to sign documents or review goals.

Fortunately, times have changed. Law firms nowadays perform services somewhere on the spectrum between the traditional model and a remote model. So it’s entirely up to you how you want to interact with your lawyers. If you don’t use email or prefer face-to-face meetings, a traditional model is for you. Alternatively, you can explore an online model like what we use here at Resolute Legal. Our lawyers work online or travel when necessary; you sign documents online and take meetings by phone; you log into an online portal to get updates on your case and view documents, milestones, and messages. Many law firms fall somewhere in between the two extremes of these service models.

In any case, a simple phone call to your potential choice should tell you what you need to know and whether you should move on to your next candidate. Then ask candidates how they can accommodate you.

Once you have set your goals and service expectations, move to the next step.

Step 6: Create a list of suitable candidates

Do your research. Prepare a list of possible disability lawyers in Ontario. Go online. Ask friends for referrals. When considering candidates, you want to focus on those who have experience with disability claims, employment laws, and human rights laws. Most disability claims involve all of those issues.

Factors to consider for your list

Their practice area lists “Long-term disability appeals.”
Records of cases and settlements won
Positive reviews, either online or from referrals
Demonstrated knowledge of disability appeals – published books, popular articles, and presentations in venues of good repute
The capacity to represent you in other disability-related claims (as outlined in Step 3)

Factors to consider with some skepticism or a grain of salt

Advertisements on television or other media. A good lawyer can advertise but remember that liking those ads doesn’t automatically make that candidate a good fit. You don’t need a celebrity; you need someone who will focus on your specific needs.
Awards. Some awards come from highly regarded peer groups who carefully choose the recipients. Others come from award mills who churn out titles for a price or from friends and colleagues who know nothing about how the awardee really works. How do you know? Research can give you a few answers, but you’d be better off avoiding basing your choice on awards and accolades.
Political connections. Many people believe that political connections equal greater influence. I can assure you that political connections have little influence on insurance companies. Insurance companies focus on maximizing profit for their shareholders — not who’s in the office this term.
Years of experience. You’ll often see “X years of experience” or “combined experience.” Those years only really matter if they involved legal issues similar to yours. Someone who has worked for 30 years may have never touched a disability claim in all that time.

If you’re considering hiring Ontario disability lawyers online, check out our article Hiring a lawyer online vs. Hiring a local lawyer.

Once you have narrowed down your list of candidates based on these factors, move on to the next step.

Step 7: Interview your candidates and choose the best fit

Schedule appointments with your candidates to speak with them about your appeal. You must speak with more than one and review them carefully so you can feel confident about your choice. If you prefer email or online chat for communications, try those channels first to see how well it goes. This might be representative of what your experience will be if you hire them.

Questions to ask

How long have you worked in disability claims and appeals?
How much of your practice do you devote to disability claims and appeals?
How many active disability cases do you have now?
How do you charge for your services? By the hour? Flat fee? Contingency fee?
How does your contingency fee agreement work? What are the percentages? Do you adjust the percentage based on the settlement and circumstances?
Will I have complete online access to all documents related to my case? How will you communicate updates to me?
Do you insist on including legal costs in all out-of-court settlements? Would you designate part of a lump-sum settlement as legal costs payable to me?
Would you fight for approval of benefits rather than a lump-sum settlement? If we start with the goal of a lump sum, but I change my mind, would you switch to fighting for benefits approval?
Does it make sense for me to hire a lawyer for full representation? Or would it make more sense for me to get legal advice and appeal on my own?
Would you also represent me in related claims (CPP disability, disability tax credit, severance payment from employer, creditor disability, or human rights complaints)?
What other lawyers would you recommend?
If I decide to hire you, how will you handle my case?

For more ideas of questions to ask, check out: 12 Questions to Ask a Disability Lawyer Before You Hire.

Final Thoughts

Take time to learn about hiring a disability lawyer. Don’t rush into a hiring decision. Do your homework and make sure that hiring a lawyer is the right decision for you. Then, make sure you choose a lawyer that will be good both personally and professionally.

If you have questions about this Guide or any other disability claim issue, call our support team toll-free a 1-888-732-0470 to schedule a free phone consultation with one of our disability claim consultants.