Our Services

01 · Advocacy within a paralegal's licensed scope

Litigation

Litigation is the process of resolving a dispute through a court or a tribunal rather than by private agreement alone. In Ontario, a Licensed Paralegal may represent clients in a defined set of forums set by the Law Society of Ontario. These include the Small Claims Court, the Ontario Court of Justice for provincial offences, and a wide range of administrative tribunals such as the Social Benefits Tribunal. Each forum has its own rules, forms and timelines, and a matter is shaped as much by those procedures as by its facts.

Most proceedings follow a recognisable path. A claim, application or appeal is started with the correct form, the other side is served and responds, and each party discloses the documents and evidence it relies on. Many forums then hold a settlement conference or mediation, where the issues can be narrowed or the dispute resolved without a hearing. Matters that do not resolve go on to a hearing or trial, where evidence is presented, witnesses may be questioned and a decision is made.

Representation covers each of those stages. It involves identifying the right forum, preparing and filing the documents, organising the evidence, corresponding with the other party, negotiating where settlement is realistic, and presenting the case at a conference or hearing. For many people the value lies as much in understanding the process and what each step requires as in the advocacy on the day.

LOJ Legal Services acts in litigation that falls within a Licensed Paralegal’s scope of practice, including Small Claims Court matters, landlord and tenant disputes, provincial offences, Social Benefits Tribunal appeals and proceedings before other tribunals. Where a matter sits outside that scope, the practice says so at the outset. A consultation is the point at which the forum, the stage a matter has reached and the options available can be looked at properly.

• Claims, applications and responses filed
• Disclosure and evidence prepared
• Settlement conferences and mediation
• Representation at hearings and trials

If you are involved in a dispute, a consultation will confirm the forum and whether it falls within a Licensed Paralegal’s scope.

03 · Ontario Works and ODSP appeals

Social Benefits Tribunal

We assist with appeals involving Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) decisions, including decisions about eligibility for benefits or the amount of assistance received.

• Ontario Works appeals
• ODSP appeals
• Eligibility for benefits
• Amount of assistance received

Bring the decision letter to a consultation so the next steps can be reviewed together.

05 · Provincial offences before the Ontario Court of Justice

Provincial Offences

Provincial offences include charges under Ontario laws and municipal bylaws. Common examples are speeding, careless driving, driving without insurance, and bylaw violations. These matters are generally heard by the Ontario Court of Justice under the Provincial Offences Act.

A charge can carry consequences beyond a fine, depending on the offence. Understanding the allegation, reviewing the disclosure, and knowing the available options are important steps before deciding how to respond. A case may be resolved through discussions with the prosecutor or proceed to trial.

• Speeding and careless driving
• Driving without insurance
• Municipal bylaw charges
• Discussions with the prosecutor and trial

Bring the offence notice to a consultation so the options and the time left to act can be reviewed together.

07 · Landlord and tenant disputes

Landlord and Tenant

We assist with landlord and tenant disputes, helping clients understand their options, prepare and file documents, negotiate where appropriate, and present their cases at hearings.

• Options explained in plain language
• Documents prepared and filed
• Negotiation where appropriate
• Representation at hearings

Bring any notices or letters you have received to a consultation so the next steps can be reviewed together.

09 · Commissioning, notarizing and certified true copies

Notary Public & Commissioner for Taking Affidavits

An affidavit is a written statement of facts that a person, called the deponent, swears or affirms to be true before a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits. A statutory declaration works in much the same way, and is used where a solemn statement is required outside a court proceeding. The commissioner does not write the statement and does not vouch for what it says. The role is to confirm the identity of the person signing, to administer the oath or affirmation, and to witness the signature.

Notarizing a document is a different act. A notary public certifies that a signature is genuine, or certifies that a photocopy is a true copy of an original document that has been produced and compared. Notarized copies are often requested by institutions outside Ontario, or by bodies that will not accept an ordinary photocopy, so the two terms are frequently confused. Commissioning concerns the truth a person swears to, while notarisation concerns the authenticity of a signature or a copy. The organization asking for the document will usually specify which one it requires.

People need these services for a wide range of everyday purposes. Affidavits and statutory declarations support court and tribunal filings, insurance and estate matters, name and identity records, consent letters for travel with a child, and confirmations of income or residence. Notarized copies are commonly requested for passport and immigration paperwork, foreign study or employment applications, and property or banking documents. Small businesses often need declarations for corporate records, licensing, or contract administration. In each case the requesting body sets the requirement, and the wording of the document normally comes from the person or organization that needs it.

Commissioning and notarizing are practical steps within a wider matter rather than litigation in their own right. The signature on an affidavit or a statutory declaration is made in front of the commissioner, which is why a document of this kind is signed at the office rather than beforehand, and why identification is normally produced. Where a true copy is required, the original is produced alongside the copy so that the two can be compared. LOJ Legal Services attends to commissioning and notarizing for members of the public and small businesses across Southwestern Ontario, and our Licensed Paralegal, Ehize Odukoya, can explain what the process involves. Both are walk-in services, so no appointment is needed.

• Affidavits sworn or affirmed in person
• Statutory declarations for official requirements
• True copies certified against originals
• Signatures witnessed and certified for institutions

If a form, an institution or a court has asked for a sworn document or a notarized copy, bring the unsigned document, any originals to be copied, and government-issued photo identification to the office at 4500 Blakie Rd, Unit 110, London, Monday to Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. No appointment is needed, but it is worth calling 1-877-295-9675 first to check that we are in.