A Client-Centred Approach to Litigation
A client-centred approach means following the three principles described below: choosing litigation strategies that are responsive to client goals, charging reasonable legal fees while using transparent billing practices, and keeping clients informed at each stage of the litigation process.
Litigation Strategies that Achieve Your Goals
Clients often have more than one goal during a dispute. A common example is a business that wants to recover money while preserving a business relationship. Your goals determine the litigation strategy I choose. If your goals change as the case progresses, then my litigation strategy will change as well.
Legal Fees that are Reasonable and Transparent
As for fees, my rate is $150/hour before taxes and disbursements. According to Canadian Lawyer’s 2019 survey on legal fees, the lowest average rate for civil litigation lawyers in 2019 in Canada was $191.82/hour. The highest average rate from the same survey was $475.28/hour. To offer this rate, I only cut what is unnecessary for providing high quality legal services. Office space is the largest of these expenses: my law practice is almost entirely virtual.
As for transparency, I provide an estimate of total fees after our first meeting. I also invoice on a regular interval, allowing clients to pay for legal fees over time.
Regular and Clear Updates throughout the Litigation Process
Understandably, clients often worry about the outcome and status of their case. An unresponsive lawyer or a lawyer who provides updates in legalese exacerbates this anxiety. I provide regular updates in plain language so that clients understand how their case is progressing.
About Me
I have experience assisting clients throughout the litigation process. This includes representing clients before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the principal court for civil disputes in Ontario.
Before starting Robert Ruddock Law, I articled and summered at a national law firm in Toronto, focussing on tax litigation and civil litigation. Before my articles, I attended law school at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario where I won course prizes in the following courses: Appellate Advocacy, Contracts, Employment Law, Public Law and Torts. I also interned at the Department of Justice while at law school. For my undergraduate degree, I studied at the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University.
Memberships:
- Law Society of Ontario
- Canadian Bar Association