Goodlawyer Policies

Terms of Use

Last Updated: December 1, 2022 (the “Effective Date”)

Thank you for visiting the Platform. Please read these Terms of Use (the “Terms”) carefully. These Terms contain important information about your legal rights, remedies, and obligations.

By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms, our Terms of Service and all Applicable Laws and regulations.

If you have any questions about these Terms, please email us at help@goodlawyer.ca.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Goodlawyer Inc. (“Goodlawyer”, the “Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) governing your access to, and use of the Platform. Your use of the Platform includes your use of the Website, any applicable web, mobile, tablet or other smart-device applications, and application program interfaces (collectively, the “Application”) and all associated services (collectively, the “Platform Services”).

Our collection and use of personal information in connection with your access to, and use of, the Platform is described in our Privacy Policy.

These Terms include and hereby incorporate by reference the following important documents, as they may be in effect and modified from time to time: our Privacy Policy, and the Retainer Agreement. Collectively, these Terms, our Privacy Policy and Retainer Agreement, are referred to as the “Terms of Service”.

IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF SERVICE, YOU MUST NOT ACCESS OR USE THE PLATFORM.

We reserve the right in our sole discretion to revise and update the Terms of Service from time to time. Any and all such modifications are effective immediately upon posting and apply to all access, and continued use of, the Platform. You agree to periodically review the Terms of Service to be aware of any such modifications. Your continued use of the Platform shall constitute your acceptance of the then-current Terms of Service.

The Goodlawyer Content and the Platform may be changed, withdrawn or terminated at any time in our sole discretion without notice to you or any other User. We will not be liable if for any reason all or any part of the Platform is restricted to you or any other User or is unavailable at any time or for any period. Any revisions to the Terms of Service will take effect on the last noted Effective Date.

You are responsible for obtaining your own access to the Platform. You are required to ensure that all persons who access the Platform through your internet connection are aware of, and comply with, the Terms of Service. You are responsible for any security breaches or performance issues relating to your use of the Platform.

YOU UNDERSTAND THAT BY USING THE PLATFORM AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF SERVICE, INCLUDING THE ARBITRATION PROVISIONS OF THESE TERMS (SUBJECT TO YOUR RIGHT TO OPT OUT OF THE ARBITRATION PROVISION AS PROVIDED BELOW).

IF YOU USE THE PLATFORM ON BEHALF OF AN ORGANIZATION OR LAW FIRM YOU AGREE TO THE TERMS OF SERVICE ON BEHALF OF SUCH ORGANIZATION OR LAW FIRM AND IN DOING SO YOU REPRESENT AND WARRANT THAT YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO BIND THAT ORGANIZATION OR LAW FIRM TO THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND AGREE THAT YOU ARE BINDING BOTH YOURSELF AND THAT ORGANIZATION OR LAW FIRM TO THE TERMS OF SERVICE.

You may be permitted to access the Platform using your mobile device and the Platform may allow you to receive messages on your mobile device. Your mobile device carrier may prohibit or restrict certain Mobile Features and certain Mobile Features may be incompatible with your mobile device carrier or mobile device. In addition, your mobile device carrier may charge its standard messaging, data and other fees to enable you to use the Mobile Features. We have no responsibility or liability for any fees or charges you incur when using the Mobile Features. You should check with your mobile device carrier to find out whether any fees or charges will apply. You should also contact your mobile device carrier with any other questions regarding the Mobile Features.

You acknowledge that your use of the Mobile Features is subject to any terms set forth in the terms of service of the third party providing the mobile device on which the Platform operates. We shall not be liable to you if you do not have a compatible mobile device. The Company reserves the right to terminate your use of the Platform should you use the Platform with an incompatible or unauthorized device.

1. Goodlawyer Overview 2. Goodlawyer Accounts 3. The Platform 4. User Generated Content 5. Fees and Payments 6. Prohibition Regarding Off-Platform Transactions (Leakage)7. Disclaimer of Warranty 8. Limitation of Liability 9. General Release 10. Indemnification 11. Goodlawyer Remedies 12. User Claims and Dispute Resolutions (Arbitration Provisions)13. General Provisions

1. Goodlawyer Overview

GOODLAWYER IS NOT A LAW FIRM, DOES NOT EMPLOY LAWYERS AND DOES NOT ENGAGE IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES TO CLIENTS. GOODLAWYER DOES NOT GUARANTEE OR REVIEW THE QUALITY, SUITABILITY, SUFFICIENCY OR OUTCOME ANY LEGAL SERVICES BOOKED, CREATED OR DELIVERED USING THE PLATFORM SERVICES. YOU ARE AWARE THAT LEGAL SERVICES ARE SUBJECT TO INHERENT RISKS AND OTHER FACTORS BEYOND GOODLAWYER’S CONTROL. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GOODLAWYER DOES NOT DRAW LEGAL CONCLUSIONS, PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE, OPINIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE LEGAL RIGHTS, REMEDIES, DEFENCES, OPTIONS, OR STRATEGIES APPLICABLE TO CLIENTS, OR APPLY THE LAW TO THE FACTS OF ANY CLIENTS’ PARTICULAR SITUATION.

GOODLAWYER IS NOT AUTHORIZED UNDER APPLICABLE LAWS TO ENGAGE IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES.

Goodlawyer’s purpose is to enable Clients to identify and engage Lawyers for the affordable, transparent and convenient delivery of Legal Services.

In accordance with the Terms of Service, we provide the Platform Services, including hosting and maintaining the Website and the Application, which facilitate the booking, creation and delivery of Legal Services. At the request of a Client the Platform Services enable Goodlawyer to provide such Client with a selection of Lawyers that are available for booking in respect of the delivery of Legal Services; at all times, however, Clients are ultimately responsible for selecting and engaging a Lawyer for the delivery of Legal Services.

Whenever a Client enters into a contract for Legal Services with a Lawyer by booking Legal Services on the Platform (“Legal Service Contract”) such Legal Service Contract, and the respective rights and obligations of the Client and the Lawyer shall be subject to these Terms and the terms of the Retainer Agreement.

GOODLAWYER IS NOT A PARTY TO ANY LEGAL SERVICE CONTRACT FACILITATED BY THE PLATFORM SERVICES.

Without limitation, Clients have full discretion and autonomy to use the Platform Services and are solely responsible for their use of the Platform Services, including with respect to: (i) any Legal Service Contract or booking of Legal Services with any Lawyer; (ii) determining, negotiating and finalizing the nature and scope of Legal Services to be delivered by a Lawyer under a Legal Service Contract; and (iii) liability for any Aggregate Fee payable pursuant to a Legal Service Contract.

Goodlawyer makes no representations about and does not guarantee, and you agree not to hold Goodlawyer responsible for: (i) the quality, safety, or legality of any Legal Services booked, created or delivered using the Platform Services; (ii) the qualifications, disciplinary background or practice status of any Lawyer; (iii) the competence or ability of any Lawyer to deliver Legal Services; or (iv) the willingness of any Lawyer to deliver Legal Services.

Without limitation, Lawyers have full discretion and autonomy to use the Platform Services and are solely responsible for their use of the Platform Services, including with respect to: (i) the acceptance of any Legal Service Contract or booking for Legal Services; (ii) determining, negotiating and creating the final scope of Legal Services to be delivered for a Client pursuant to a Legal Service Contract; (iii) delivering Legal Services for a Client pursuant to a Legal Service Contract; and (iv) invoicing and billing a Client the Aggregate Fee payable pursuant to the terms of a Legal Service Contract.

Goodlawyer makes no representations about and does not guarantee, and you agree not to hold Goodlawyer responsible for: (i) the identity of any Client; (ii) the legal capacity of any Client to enter into a Legal Service Contract; (iii) the ability or willingness of any Client to pay any Aggregate Fee; or (iv) any Ratings, Reviews, statements or posts made by any Client.

Lawyers are obligated to keep all Client information confidential in accordance with Applicable Laws, as well as their ethical and professional obligations. The fact that the Company may maintain confidential information, directly or indirectly, in a database maintained by the Company or a third-party provider, or the ability of the Company to create aggregate information or composite information about Users shall not constitute the waiver of any privilege in a Lawyer-Client relationship.

AS GOODLAWYER DOES NOT ENGAGE IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES, GOODLAWYER DOES NOT, AT ANY TIME, CREATE OR ESTABLISH A LAWYER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP WITH ANY CLIENT NOR DOES GOODLAWYER OWE ANY CLIENT A SPECAIL DUTY OF CARE AS OTHERWISE REQUIRED BY SUCH A LAWYER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP.

Goodlawyer Content

Goodlawyer Content is provided for general information purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. You should obtain specific or professional advice before taking, or refraining from taking, any action, legal or otherwise, on the basis of Goodlawyer Content. Many factors unknown to us may impact the applicability of any Goodlawyer Content to your particular circumstances and any use of such Goodlawyer Content is at your own risk. The Goodlawyer Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Always seek professional advice with any specific questions you may have. You should not disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something contained in the Goodlawyer Content.

Although we make reasonable efforts to update and maintain the Goodlawyer Content, we make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the Goodlawyer Content is accurate, complete, reliable or up to date. Your use of the Platform and the Goodlawyer Content is at your own risk and the Company has no responsibility or liability whatsoever for such use.

The Website may include content provided by third parties, including from other Users and third-party licensors. All statements and/or opinions expressed in any such third-party content, other than the Goodlawyer Content, are solely the opinions and the responsibility of the individual or entity providing such content. Such content does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Company. The Company is not responsible, or liable to you or any other party, for the content or accuracy of any third-party content.

You acknowledge, agree, and understand that Goodlawyer has no responsibility to verify the truth or accuracy of any information pertaining to any Lawyers as may be contained in the Goodlawyer Content. Goodlawyer provides no representations or warranties regarding the truth, quality, efficacy or accuracy of any information or Goodlawyer Content pertaining to any Lawyer.

Electronic Communications

You expressly consent and agree to accept and receive communications from us, including by email and via text (SMS) message, calls and push notifications to the cellular telephone number you provided to us. By consenting to being contacted by us, you understand and agree that you may receive communications, including marketing communications generated by automatic telephone dialing systems which may deliver pre-recorded messages, sent by or on behalf of the Company, its affiliated companies and/or other Users of the Platform, including but not limited to: operational communications concerning your Account or use of the Platform, updates concerning new and existing features on the Platform, communications concerning promotions run by us and news concerning the Company and industry developments (collectively, “Notices”). You acknowledge that you are not required to consent to receive promotional messages as a condition of using the Platform.

You agree that we generally can send you Notices by email, text (SMS) message, calls and push notifications to the cellular telephone number you provided to us or by posting Notices to the Platform. You acknowledge and agree that any such Notice shall satisfy any legal requirement that such communication be in writing. The delivery of any Notice from us is effective when sent by us, regardless of whether you read the Notice, when you receive it or whether you actually receive the Notice. Your only method of withdrawing consent to receive Notices is to terminate any registrations, subscriptions or services provided through the Platform.

2. Goodlawyer Accounts

You must register and activate an Account to access and use certain features of the Platform. You acknowledge that Goodlawyer reserves the right to refuse service to anyone and to cancel User access at any time, subject to any restrictions under Applicable Laws.

Registration and Acceptance

You understand that by using the Platform, including by creating a Client Account or Lawyer Account, you agree to be bound by and abide by the Terms of Service. If you use the Platform on behalf of an Organization or law firm, including by creating a Client Account or Lawyer Account as an agent on behalf of an Organization or law firm, you agree to the Terms of Service on behalf of such Organization or law firm and in doing so you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that Organization or law firm to the Terms of Service and agree that you are binding both yourself and that Organization or law firm to the Terms of Service.

To register and activate an Account for use of the Platform, you must complete the Account profile and provide all requisite information. You hereby agree to provide Goodlawyer with such proof of identity as we may reasonably request from time to time and agree to supply true, accurate, and complete information on your Account profile and all registration and other forms you access on the Platform or provide to us and to update your information to maintain its truthfulness, accuracy, and completeness.

You hereby agree not to supply any false or misleading information about your identity, qualifications or location, your business or your skills and to correct any such information that is or becomes false or misleading. If you do provide any false or misleading information, we reserve the right to remove and/or disable your Account without advance notice.

Your provision of registration information including in connection with the creation and activation of your Account and any submissions you make to the Platform through any functionality such as applications, orders, personal profiles, chat rooms, e-mail, message boards, personal or interest group web pages, forums, online forms, blogs, bulletin boards, reflections, online journals, forms filled out during one of our workshops or events, and other such functions constitute your consent to all actions we take with respect to the management, storage and use of such information in accordance with the Terms of Service.

Account Security

Any Account username, password or any other piece of information chosen by you or provided to you by the Platform as part of our security procedures must be treated as confidential, and you must not disclose such information to any other individual or entity. You must exercise caution when accessing your Account from a public or shared device so that others are not able to view or record your password or other personal information.

You understand and agree that your Account is personal to you and you agree not to provide any other individual or entity access to your Account, including by protecting your username, password or other security information. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized access to, or use of, your Account, username or password or any other breach of security. You also agree to ensure that you logout from your Account at the end of your use of the Platform. You are responsible for any password misuse or any unauthorized access to your Account.

Goodlawyer reserves the right at any time and from time to time, to disable or terminate your Account, any username, password or other identifier, whether chosen by you or provided by us, in our sole discretion for any or no reason, including, but not limited to, your violation of any provision of the Terms of Service.

Upon termination or disablement of your Account, we will not provide you with any refunds or credits of any kind whatsoever. If we disable or terminate your Account for any reason, you are prohibited from registering and creating a new Account under your name or e-mail address, a fake or borrowed name or the name of any third party, even if you may be acting on behalf of the third party.

You are prohibited from attempting to circumvent and from violating the security of the Platform including without limitation: (i) accessing content and data that is not intended for you; (ii) attempting to breach or breaching the security and/or authentication measures which are not authorized; (iii) restricting, disrupting or disabling Platform Services; (iv) illicitly reproducing TCP/IP packet header; (v) disrupting network services and otherwise disrupting Goodlawyer’s ability to monitor the Platform; (vi) using any robot, data mining, spider or other automatic device, process or means to access the Platform for any purpose, including monitoring or copying any of Platform content or confidential information; (vii) introducing any viruses, trojan horses, worms, logic bombs or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful; (viii) attacking the Platform via a denial-of-service attack, distributed denial-of-service attack, flooding, mailbombing or crashing; (ix) attempting to decompile or reverse engineer any software contained on the Platform; and (x) otherwise attempting to interfere with the proper working of the Platform. You may not use any network monitoring or discovery software to determine the site architecture or extract information about usage or Users.

Account Types

The Platform permits two different Account types: (i) a Client Account; or (ii) a Lawyer Account.

Once you register for one Account type, you will not be able to add the other Account type under the same email address. Lawyers are permitted to register for a Client Account: provided, however, that they use an alternative email registration for their Client Account.

Client Account

An individual, on their own behalf or on behalf of and as an authorized representative of an Organization, may create and register an Account for use of the Platform as a Client (a “Client Account”). Only individual is permitted to use, access and manage a Client Account.

By registering a Client Account on your own behalf, you hereby represent, warrant and covenant that:

you will use the Platform for your individual and legitimate legal affairs;
you will comply with the Terms of Service; and
you are 18 years or older (or have otherwise reached the age of majority in your jurisdiction of residence) and have the capacity to form legally binding contracts.

By registering a Client Account on behalf of an Organization you hereby represent that you:

are an authorized representative or agent of such Organization;
will use the Platform for such Organization’s legitimate legal affairs;
such Organization will comply with the Terms of Service; and
are 18 years or older (or have otherwise reached the age of majority in your jurisdiction of residence) and are authorized to form legally binding contracts on behalf of such Organization.

Lawyer Account

An individual, on their own behalf or on behalf of and as an authorized representative of a law firm, may create and register an Account for use of the Platform as a Lawyer (a “Lawyer Account”). Only the individual registered to the Lawyer Account is permitted to use, access and manage a Lawyer Account.

By registering a Lawyer Account, you hereby represent, warrant and covenant that you:

are currently qualified, active and licensed as a lawyer in at least one jurisdiction of Canada under Applicable Laws and you will maintain such qualification, license and practice status for as long as your Lawyer Account remains active;
are a member in good standing of a provincial or territorial bar association or law society;
will follow any licensing, registration, or other requirements personally or with respect to the law firm for which you are acting as you provide Legal Services, including but not limited to compliance with the Code applicable to you in all material respects;
will comply with Applicable Laws;
are a member of a law firm or authorised to deliver Legal Services and carry-on business as a sole proprietor;
consent to your profile and likeness being made accessible to Users and the Public; and
are covered under a policy of professional negligence and errors & omissions insurance, and have all required insurance coverage under Applicable Laws or as required by your law firm.

Goodlawyer reserves the right to remove and/or disable your Lawyer Account periodically or permanently from the Platform for any reason deemed necessary or appropriate by Goodlawyer, including (but not limited to) if you: use the Platform without a valid license to practice law; breach or fail to maintain and comply with the foregoing representations and warranties; breach the Terms of Service; or if, in Goodlawyer’s sole discretion, your Ratings or Reviews fall below a minimum acceptable standard.

User Acknowledgements

Client Acknowledgments

If you are a Client, by using the Platform you hereby acknowledge, agree, and understand that:

Goodlawyer is not a party to any Legal Service Contract and shall have no liability or obligations under or related to any Legal Service Contract;
Goodlawyer is unable to and does not, in any way, supervise, direct, or control any Lawyer, the creation of any Legal Service Contract or the booking, creation or delivery of any Legal Services; and
You are solely responsible for all Legal Fees, Service Fees, government fees disbursements and Indirect Taxes payable in respect of your requisition of Legal Services pursuant to the terms of any Legal Service Contract.

Lawyer Acknowledgements

If you are a Lawyer, by using the Platform you hereby acknowledge, agree, and understand that:

You are not an employee of Goodlawyer, and you are not eligible for any of the rights or benefits of employment (including unemployment and/or workers compensation insurance);
Goodlawyer is not a party to any Legal Service Contract and shall have no liability or obligations under or related to any Legal Service Contract;
Goodlawyer is unable to and does not, in any way, supervise, direct, or control any Lawyer, the creation of any Legal Service Contract or the booking, creation or delivery of any Legal Services;
Goodlawyer does not dictate the method or process that you employ to provide Legal Services;
You are free to determine when and if to perform Legal Services, including the days and times periods that you elect to work, and Goodlawyer does not set or have any control over your, work product, work schedules, or work location, nor does Goodlawyer mandate the final Aggregate Fee that you bill to a Client pursuant to a Legal Service Contract;
You will be paid at such times and amounts as agreed with a Client pursuant to a Legal Service Contract, and Goodlawyer does not, in any way, provide or guarantee you a regular salary or any minimum, regular payment;
You are solely responsible for all tax liability, withholdings and required remittances associated with any Client payments received by you through the Platform;
You are solely responsible for identifying and making all required remittances to the proper taxing authorities for any value added tax or any other taxes or similar charges applicable to your use of the Platform;
In the event that Goodlawyer is audited, you shall promptly cooperate with Goodlawyer in respect of such audit and provide copies of your tax records and other documents as may be reasonably requested by Goodlawyer for the purposes of such audit;
Neither Goodlawyer nor any Goodlawyer Representative has made or makes any express or implied representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any reported Indirect Taxes in connection with the delivery of Legal Services pursuant to a Legal Service Contract.
You are solely responsible for all tax liability, withholdings and required remittances for Indirect Taxes associated with any Client payments received by you through the Platform;
You are solely responsible for identifying and making all required remittances to the proper taxing authorities for any value added tax or any other taxesIndirect Taxes or similar charges applicable to your use of the Platform;
You have not relied on any representation or warranty from Goodlawyer nor any Goodlawyer Representative in determining your liability for Indirect Taxes and neither Goodlawyer nor any Goodlawyer Representative shall have liability to you with respect to any Indirect Taxes.
Goodlawyer does not provide you with training or any equipment, labor, tools, or materials related to any Legal Service Contract;
Goodlawyer does not provide the premises at which you perform any Legal Services;
You are solely responsible for obtaining any liability, health, workers’ compensation, disability, unemployment, or other insurance needed, desired, or required by law, and you hereby acknowledge and agree that you are not covered by or eligible for any insurance of any kind maintained by Goodlawyer;
Whenever you enter into a Legal Service Contract with a Client such Legal Service Contract includes and you agree that in providing Legal Services you are subject to the terms of the Retainer Agreement; and
Your placement and ranking in a Client’s search results may vary and depend on a variety of factors, such as Client search parameters and preferences, service requirements, price, responsiveness to Client requests, cancellation history, service type, and/or ease of retaining.

3. The Platform

Ownership

The Platform is owned and operated by Goodlawyer. All right, title and interest in and to the Platform, including but not limited to Goodlawyer Content and the information, documents, logos, graphics, sounds and images accessible or visible on the Platform (the “Proprietary Materials”) are owned either by Goodlawyer or by our respective third-party authors, developers or vendors (“Third Party Providers”).

Except as otherwise expressly provided by Goodlawyer, none of the Proprietary Materials may be copied, reproduced, republished, downloaded, uploaded, posted, displayed, transmitted or distributed in any way and nothing on the Platform shall be construed to confer any license under any of our intellectual property rights, whether by estoppel, implication or otherwise.

Any rights not expressly granted here are reserved by the Company.

Limited License

Goodlawyer hereby grants you a limited license to access the Platform. This license is subject to and conditioned on your compliance with the Terms of Service.

We strive to keep our Platform safe, secure, and functioning properly, but we cannot guarantee the continuous operation of, or access to, our Platform. In fact, we might even stop providing certain features without notice.

You may link to our homepage only, provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it. You must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on our part where none exists. The Platform must not be framed on any other website, nor may you create a link to any part of the Platform other than the homepage. We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission from you or any other User without notice. It is your responsibility to ensure that the website in which you are linking complies in all respects with the Terms of Service. You agree to cooperate with us in causing any unauthorized framing or linking to immediately stop.

Goodlawyer may terminate any license granted to any Platform visitor or User to access the Platform without notice.

Permitted Uses

GOODLAWYER IS NOT AUTHORIZED UNDER APPLICABLE LAWS TO ENGAGE IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW OR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES.

Goodlawyer’s purpose is to enable Clients to identify and engage Lawyers for the affordable, transparent and convenient delivery of Legal Services.

In addition, the Platform Services may be used to access the Goodlawyer Content.

Goodlawyer Content is provided for general information purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. You should obtain specific or professional advice before taking, or refraining from taking, any action, legal or otherwise, on the basis of Goodlawyer Content. Many factors unknown to us may affect the applicability of any Goodlawyer Content to your particular circumstances and any use of such Goodlawyer Content is at your own risk. The Goodlawyer Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Always seek professional advice with any specific questions you may have. You should not disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something contained in the Goodlawyer Content.

Prohibited Uses

Users are not permitted to use, or encourage, promote, facilitate, instruct or induce others to use, the Platform for any activities that violate any Applicable Laws; for any other illegal or fraudulent purpose or any purpose that is harmful to others; or to transmit, store, display, distribute or otherwise make available content that is illegal.

Without limitation to the foregoing, the following uses of the Platform are prohibited:

seeking, offering, promoting, or endorsing any services, content, or activities that are fraudulent or misleading;
posting personal information concerning another person;
spamming other Lawyers with requests for legal services or posting the same job multiple times so that more than one version remains active at a given time;
demanding payment without the intention of providing services in exchange for the payment;
requesting or demanding free services, including requesting Lawyers to submit work as part of the proposal process for very little or no money;
attempting to or manipulating or misusing the feedback system;
duplicating or sharing Accounts;
selling, trading, or giving an Account;
sharing or soliciting personal contact information, such as email, phone number, or Skype ID, in connection with a Legal Services Contract or in a Lawyer Account;
directly or indirectly advertising or promoting a competitive platform, product, service or service provider;
directly or indirectly soliciting Clients and/or Lawyers for a competitive platform, product, service, or service provider, including advertising on the Platform to recruit Clients and/or Lawyers to join another platform or company; and
conduct or actions that could jeopardize the integrity of the Platform or Goodlawyer’s proprietary information, including: (a) reverse engineering (or attempting to reverse engineer), modifying, adapting, translating, preparing derivative works from, decompiling, interfering with the operation of, or otherwise attempting to derive source code from any part of the Platform; or (b) accessing or using the Platform to build a competitive platform, product, service or application or publish any performance or any benchmark test or analysis relating to the Platform.

Reporting Violations

If you become aware of any violation of the Terms of Service, you must at once report it at help@goodlawyer.ca. You further agree to aid us with any investigation we undertake and to take any remedial steps we require in order to correct a violation of the Terms of Service.

Responsibilities with Respect to Record Keeping

You are responsible for the creation, storage, and backup of any and all records pertaining to your use of the Platform, including maintaining a record of any Legal Service Contract executed through the Platform and records of any Legal Services delivered or received through the Platform.

Goodlawyer shall: (i) store, backup and retain records of all Legal Service Contracts and, where applicable, grant access such information or data to an applicable Lawyer or Client; and (ii) comply with any Applicable Laws with respect to our data security, data privacy and data storage obligations.

4. User Generated Content

Goodlawyer may, at its sole discretion, enable Clients and Lawyers to:

create, upload, post, send, receive, and store content, documents and information, such as Reviews, Ratings, feedback, composite feedback, geographical location, text, photos, audio, documents, files, video, or other materials and information on or through the Platform ("User Content"); and
access and view User Content and Goodlawyer Content, including proprietary Goodlawyer content and any content licensed or authorized for use by or through Goodlawyer from a third party.

You hereby acknowledge and agree that both Clients and Lawyers publish and request Goodlawyer to publish User Content on their behalf. However, such information is based solely on unverified data that Clients or Lawyers voluntarily give to Goodlawyer and does not constitute and will not be construed as an introduction, endorsement, or recommendation by Goodlawyer.

Goodlawyer does not investigate User Content for accuracy or reliability and does not guarantee that User Content is accurate. The Website may include content provided by third parties, including from other Users and third-party licensors. All statements and/or opinions expressed in any such User Content or third-party content, other than the Goodlawyer Content, are solely the opinions and the responsibility of the individual or entity providing such content. Such content does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Company.

Goodlawyer is not legally responsible for any User Content or third-party content posted or made available on the Website, even if that information is defamatory or otherwise legally actionable. In order to protect the integrity of the feedback system and to protect Users from abuse, we reserve the right (but are under no obligation) to remove posted feedback, User Content or third-party content or information that, in our sole judgment, violates the Terms of Service, negatively affects our Platform, diminishes the integrity of the feedback system or otherwise is inconsistent with our business interests and the purposes of this Platform.

You acknowledge and agree that you will notify us of any error or inaccurate statement in any of your User Content and that if you do not do so, we may rely on the accuracy of such information. You further agree that your Ratings and Reviews shall, in all cases, be truthful, accurate, not contain any offensive or defamatory language, based on your experience working with a Lawyer and not based on the particular outcome of a particular legal situation.

Without limiting the foregoing, you warrant and agree that your use of the Platform and your User Content shall not:

in any manner violate any applicable federal, provincial, local or international law, rule or regulation including, without limitation, any law regarding the export of data or software, patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other intellectual property or any other legal rights (including the rights of publicity and privacy of others) or contain any content that could give rise to any civil or criminal liability under applicable laws, rules or regulations or that otherwise may be in conflict with Terms of Service;
include or contain any content that is exploitive, obscene, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, hateful, defamatory, sexually explicit or pornographic, violent, inflammatory or discriminatory based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, age or other such prohibited ground or is otherwise objectionable;
involve stalking or attempting to exploit any person or to harm minors in any way by exposing them to inappropriate content or otherwise;
involve, provide or contribute any false, inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information including with the intention of falsifying or manipulating Ratings or Reviews in any manner;
include sending, knowingly receiving, uploading, downloading, using or reusing any content that does not comply with these Terms;
impersonate or attempt to impersonate the Company, a Company employee, another User or any other individual or entity (including, without limitation, by using e-mail addresses, names or screen names and titles and designations associated with any of the foregoing);
transmit, barter, advertise or procure the sending of any advertisements, commercial activities, sales or any other similar solicitation including, without limitation, any “spam”, “junk mail”, “chain letter”, contests, sweepstakes and other sales promotions;
include engaging in any other conduct that restricts or inhibits anyone’s use or enjoyment of the Platform, or which, as determined by us in our sole discretion, may harm the Company or other Users of the Platform or expose them to liability;
include causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety or be likely to upset, embarrass or alarm any person;
promote any illegal activity, or advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act; or
give the impression that they originate from or are endorsed by us or any person or entity, if this is not the case.

The list of prohibitions above provides examples and is not complete, exhaustive or exclusive. The prohibitions listed above do not require the Company to monitor, police or remove any User Content or other information submitted by you or any other User. It is your responsibility to ensure that your use of the Platform and any User Content do not violate the prohibitions above.

You agree to comply with all Applicable Laws, including applicable privacy and data protection regulations. Further, you agree to not use the Platform to send us sensitive information where unauthorized disclosure could cause any harm or impact to us or any other individual or entity.

You understand and agree that you, not the Company, are fully responsible for any User Content you submit or contribute, and you are fully responsible and legally liable, including to any third party, for such content and its correctness, truthfulness, currency, accuracy and completeness. We are not responsible or legally liable to you or any third party for the User Content or the correctness, truthfulness, currency, accuracy and completeness of any User Content submitted by you or any other User of the Platform.

You represent and warrant that:

you either are the sole and exclusive owner of all User Content that you make available on or through the Platform or you have all rights, licenses, consents, and releases that are necessary to grant to us the rights in and to such User Content, as contemplated under the Terms of Service; and
neither the User Content nor your posting, uploading, publishing, submitting or transmitting any User Content or our use of such User Content (or any part thereof) as contemplated under the Terms of Service will infringe, misappropriate or violate a third party’s intellectual property rights, or rights of publicity or privacy, or result in the violation of any Applicable Law.

We respect copyright law and expect our Users to do the same. If you believe that any content on the Platform infringes copyrights you own, please contact us at help@goodlawyer.ca.

5. Fees and Payments

Goodlawyer facilitates a payment infrastructure which enables Clients to pay any Aggregate Fees payable pursuant to the terms of a Legal Service Contract and for Lawyers to collect payment of any Legal Fees and disbursements (together with applicable taxes) owing to them pursuant to the terms of a Legal Service Contract (the “Payment Services”).

We use the services of Stripe, Inc. and its affiliates, including Stripe Payments Canada, Ltd. (the "Payments Data Controller") to process, route and deliver funds under Applicable Laws for the purposes of supplying the Payment Services.

You acknowledge and agree that we may use the Payments Data Controller and certain third-party vendors and service providers to process payments and manage your Payment Method information.

All prices, discounts, and promotions posted on the Platform are subject to change without notice. Goodlawyer strives to display accurate price information; however, we may, on occasion, make inadvertent typographical errors, inaccuracies, or omissions related to pricing and availability. Goodlawyer reserves the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions at any time and to cancel any Legal Service Contracts arising from such occurrences.

All Users acknowledge and agree that the Payment Services, including the charging, processing and delivery of any Aggregate Fees are ultimately subject to the policies of our Payments Data Controller. The Payments Data Controller’s Privacy Policy and other legal information Is located here: https://stripe.com/privacy-center/legal

Legal Fees and Service Fees

The Payment Services enable Clients to pay Legal Fees to Lawyers, as well as disbursements and taxes, as applicable. The Legal Fees payable for Legal Services are the amount agreed to by the Lawyer and the Client on the Platform at the time the Legal Service Contract is entered into, subject to the terms of any promotions, discounts or change orders that may be applicable. Posted Legal Fees do not include taxes or disbursement charges. All such taxes and disbursement charges will be added to the Aggregate Fee and will be itemized in the applicable final invoice for Legal Services.

In addition to Legal Fees, Goodlawyer charges Clients a transaction-based service fee in consideration of their use of the Platform to enter into a Legal Service Contract (“Service Fee”). The Service Fee is calculated as a percentage of the Legal Fee payable pursuant to a Legal Service Contract and is a component of the Aggregate Fee payable by a Client in respect of a particular Legal Service Contract.

User Payment Methods and Authorizations

Lawyers are permitted to invoice and bill Clients for all or a portion of the Aggregate Fees payable in respect of a Legal Services Contract in accordance with the Terms of Service, and the Client will honour such invoices in accordance with the Terms of Service.

You hereby authorize Goodlawyer to: (i) complete a credit card pre-authorisation whenever you enter into a Legal Service Contract (a “Pre-Authorization”); (ii) store credit card and banking or other financial details as your method of payment (“Payment Method”), and to debit or charge your Payment Method any other amounts payable under the Terms of Service. The purpose of the Pre-Authorization is to ensure that you have adequate funds to pay the Aggregate Fee associated with a particular Legal Service Contract.

Goodlawyer accepts Payment Methods from Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, China UnionPay and Japan Credit Bureau. By linking a Payment Method to your Account, you hereby represent, warrant, and covenant that:

The Payment Method information you supply to us is true, correct, and complete;
You are legally authorized to access, use and make payments with such Payment Method;
Use of the Payment Method to access the Platform Services does not and shall not violate the terms and conditions applicable to your Payment Method or Applicable Law;
Your Payment Method is (and at all times shall be) in good standing with sufficient funds or available credit to satisfy your payment obligations in respect of your use of the Platform;
Charges incurred by you will be honoured by the financial institution to which your Payment Method is associated; and
You will pay all Aggregate Fees and charges incurred by you, including Service Fees, disbursements and all applicable taxes, if any.

Goodlawyer is not liable to any User if a financial institution fails to honor any debit or charge to a Payment Method. We reserve the right to seek reimbursement from a User, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, and a User shall reimburse us, where we receive any chargeback or other financial penalty or loss in processing the Payment Method associated with a Client Account. If you are a Client, you hereby agree that we have the right to seek such reimbursement and authorize Goodlawyer to charge your Client Account and/or Payment Method to recover any such losses.

Payment Disputes and Refunds

You hereby acknowledge and agree that:

Failure to immediately decline or dispute any invoice, charge or request for payment of Aggregate Fees pursuant to a Legal Service Contract shall be an express authorisation and instruction for Goodlawyer to charge your Payment Method and deliver payment of such Aggregate Fees to Goodlawyer and the applicable Lawyer, in their respective proportionate entitlements;
Absent manifest error, any charges or debits to your designated Payment Method for the payment of Aggregate Fees pursuant to a Legal Service Contract is non-refundable, except as otherwise required by Applicable Law or as otherwise deemed appropriate in Goodlawyer's sole and absolute discretion; and
Without the express written consent of Goodlawyer, you will not ask your Payment Method provider to charge back any Aggregate Fees or other fees charged pursuant to the Terms of Service for any reason.

Right to Withhold or Redirect Payment and Delivery of Fees

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Terms of Service and except as prohibited by Applicable Law, if we believe, in our sole discretion, that you have violated the conditions and restrictions of the Terms of Service, including by committing or attempting to commit fraud or other illicit acts on or through the Platform, we may refuse to process or may withhold or redirect delivery/payment of all or any portion of Aggregate Fees and take such other actions with respect to your Account as we deem appropriate in our sole discretion and in accordance with Applicable Law.

Without limiting the foregoing, Goodlawyer, in its sole discretion and to the extent permitted under Applicable Law, may also refuse to process the payment of any Aggregate Fees, withhold or redirect delivery of Aggregate Fees or any other amounts, or offset all or any portion of Aggregate Fees against amounts owing to us by a User where:

We require additional supplementary User information, such as tax information, government-issued identification or other proof of identity, address, or date of birth;
We have reason to believe such Aggregate Fees may be subject to dispute;
We suspect User fraud;
We reasonably believe that a User has breached any provision of the Terms of Service; or
We deem such action necessary in connection with any investigation or as required by Applicable Law.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Terms of Service and except as prohibited by Applicable Law, Goodlawyer may enforce the disgorgement of Legal Fees (including disbursements and taxes, as applicable) from a Lawyer, and take such other actions with respect to a Lawyer’s Account as we deem appropriate where Goodlawyer determines, in our sole discretion, that: (i) a Lawyer has violated the Terms of Service; or (ii) a Client is inappropriately or mistakenly charged for Legal Services or duplicate transactions in respect of a Legal Service Contract.

Default and Non-Payment of Fees

Whenever a User is in “Default”, Goodlawyer shall be entitled to the remedies described in the Terms of Service in addition to such other remedies that may be available under Applicable Law.

A User is deemed to be in Default on the earliest occurrence of any of the following:

The User fails to pay any Legal Fees, Service Fees or any other amounts when due under a Legal Service Contract or the Terms of Service;
The User fails, within a reasonable period but no more than 21 days, to remedy a payment default caused by the decline, expiry or failure of their Payment Method; or
The User initiates a chargeback with a bank or other financial institution such that a charge to the User’s Payment Method for Aggregate Fees or any other amount due pursuant to these Terms is reversed or returned to the User; or
The User takes other actions or fails to take any action that results in a negative or past-due balance in such User’s Account.

If a User is in Default, Goodlawyer may, without notice, temporarily or permanently close the User’s Account and revoke the User’s access to the Platform. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the User will remain responsible for any and all Legal Fees, Service Fees and any other amounts outstanding at the time of Default.

Interest on Default

Without limiting other available remedies, a User in Default shall pay Goodlawyer upon demand for any and all Legal Fees, Service Fees and any other amounts outstanding at the time of Default, plus interest on such outstanding amounts, calculated at the lesser of one and one-half percent (1.5%) per month or the maximum interest allowed by Applicable Law, and legal fees and other costs of enforcement and collection.

At Goodlawyer’s discretion and to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, when dealing with a User in Default, Goodlawyer may: (i) set off amounts due from the User against other amounts to be received by the User or held by Goodlawyer for the User; (ii) make appropriate reports and disclosures to credit reporting agencies and law enforcement authorities; and (iii) cooperate with credit reporting agencies and law enforcement authorities in any investigation or prosecution of such User in Default.

6. Prohibition Regarding Off-Platform Transactions (Leakage)

You acknowledge and agree that: (i) Goodlawyer used a substantial amount of labour and effort to develop the Platform Services to enable Clients to hire Lawyers online conveniently and transparently; and (ii) a substantial portion of the compensation Goodlawyer receives for making the Platform available to Users is collected through the Service Fees described in these Terms.

Goodlawyer only receives Service Fees when a Client and a Lawyer utilize the Payment Services to satisfy the Aggregate Fees payable pursuant to the terms of a Legal Service Contract. Therefore, subject to the express written consent of Goodlawyer, (i) if you are a Lawyer you agree to use the Platform and the Payment Services as your exclusive method to invoice, request, process and receive payment for Legal Services (including Legal Fees, disbursements and taxes, as applicable) in relation to any Lawyer-Client relationship or Legal Services Contract arising out of or facilitated by your use of the Platform; and (ii) if you are a Client you agree to use the Platform as your sole and exclusive method to request Legal Services and to enter into a Legal Services Contract, and the Payment Services as your sole and exclusive method to process and deliver payment for Legal Services (including Legal Fees, Service Fees, disbursements and taxes, as applicable) in relation to any Lawyer-Client relationship or Legal Services Contract arising out of or facilitated by your use of the Platform.

7. Disclaimer of Warranty

YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM, ITS CONTENT, AND ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS FOUND OR ATTAINED THROUGH THE PLATFORM IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE PLATFORM, ITS CONTENT, AND ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS FOUND OR ATTAINED THROUGH THE PLATFORM ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS, WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. THE FOREGOING DOES NOT AFFECT ANY WARRANTIES THAT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED OR LIMITED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.

NEITHER THE COMPANY NOR ITS PARENT, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, OR THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, CONTRACTORS, LICENSORS, LICENSEES, SUPPLIERS, OR SUCCESSORS MAKE ANY WARRANTY, REPRESENTATION, OR ENDORSEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE COMPLETENESS, SECURITY, RELIABILITY, SUITABILITY, ACCURACY, CURRENCY, OR AVAILABILITY OF THE PLATFORM OR ITS CONTENTS. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, NEITHER THE COMPANY NOR ITS PARENT, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, CONTRACTORS, LICENSORS, LICENSEES, SUPPLIERS, OR SUCCESSORS REPRESENT OR WARRANT THAT THE WEBSITE, ITS CONTENT, OR ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS FOUND OR ATTAINED THROUGH THE PLATFORM WILL BE ACCURATE, RELIABLE, ERROR-FREE, OR UNINTERRUPTED, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, THAT THE PLATFORM OR THE SERVER(S) THAT MAKES IT AVAILABLE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

WE CANNOT AND DO NOT GUARANTEE OR WARRANT THAT FILES OR DATA AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOADING FROM THE INTERNET OR THE PLATFORM WILL BE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER DESTRUCTIVE CODE. YOU ARE SOLELY AND ENTIRELY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM AND YOUR COMPUTER, INTERNET, AND DATA SECURITY. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PROVIDED BY LAW, WE WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY DENIAL-OF-SERVICE ATTACK, DISTRIBUTED DENIAL-OF-SERVICE ATTACK, OVERLOADING, FLOODING, MAILBOMBING, OR CRASHING, VIRUSES, TROJAN HORSES, WORMS, LOGIC BOMBS, OR OTHER TECHNOLOGICALLY HARMFUL MATERIAL THAT MAY INFECT YOUR COMPUTER EQUIPMENT, COMPUTER PROGRAMS, DATA, OR OTHER PROPRIETARY MATERIAL DUE TO YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE OR ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS FOUND OR ATTAINED THROUGH THE PLATFORM OR TO YOUR DOWNLOADING OF ANY MATERIAL POSTED ON IT, OR ON ANY WEBSITE LINKED TO IT.

8. Limitation of Liability

EXCEPT WHERE SUCH EXCLUSIONS ARE PROHIBITED BY LAW, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE WILL THE COMPANY NOR ITS PARENT, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, CONTRACTORS, LICENSORS, LICENSEES, SUPPLIERS, OR SUCCESSORS (COLLECTIVELY, THE “GOODLAWYER REPRESENTATIVES”) BE LIABLE FOR NEGLIGENCE, GROSS NEGLIGENCE, NEGLIGENT MISREPRESENTATION, FUNDAMENTAL BREACH, DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, UNDER ANY LEGAL THEORY, INCLUDING ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PERSONAL INJURY, PAIN AND SUFFERING, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS OR ANTICIPATED SAVINGS, LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF GOODWILL, LOSS OF DATA, AND WHETHER CAUSED BY TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), BREACH OF CONTRACT, BREACH OF PRIVACY, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF THE GOODLAWYER REPRESENTATIVE WAS ALLEGEDLY ADVISED OR HAD REASON TO KNOW, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE, OR INABILITY TO USE, OR RELIANCE ON, THE PLATFORM, ANY LINKED WEBSITES OR SUCH OTHER THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES, NOR ANY GOODLAWYER CONTENT, WEBSITE MATERIALS, POSTING, OR INFORMATION THEREON EVEN IF THE PARTY WAS ALLEGEDLY ADVISED OR HAD REASON TO KNOW.

Without limitation, the foregoing limitation of liability includes and absolves the Goodlawyer Representatives from liability for any damages or losses caused by or arising out of or in connection with:

delays or disruptions in our Platform;
viruses or other malicious software obtained by accessing, or linking to, our Platform;
any loss, damage, or unauthorized access, disclosure, use or breach of security of any personal information in the Company’s possession, custody or control, or otherwise held or processed on its behalf;
observation by government or malicious actors through any means;
glitches, bugs, errors, or inaccuracies of any kind in or on our Platform;
damage to your hardware device from the use of the Platform;
the content, actions, or inactions of third parties with respect to the Platform;
a suspension or other action taken with respect to your Account;
your reliance on the quality, accuracy, or reliability of profiles, Ratings, Reviews, recommendations, and feedback, aggregate information, or metrics found on, used on, or made available through the Platform; and
your need to modify practices, content, or behavior or your loss of or inability to do business, because of changes to the Terms of Service.

THE GOODLAWYER REPRESENTATIVES ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT, WHETHER ONLINE OR OFFLINE, OF ANY USER OF THE PLATFORM, AND THE GOODLAWYER REPRESENTATIVES WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR NEGLIGENCE, GROSS NEGLIGENCE, NEGLIGENT MISREPRESENTATION, FUNDAMENTAL BREACH, DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, UNDER ANY LEGAL THEORY, INCLUDING ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PERSONAL INJURY, PAIN AND SUFFERING, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS OR ANTICIPATED SAVINGS, LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF GOODWILL, LOSS OF DATA, AND WHETHER CAUSED BY TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), BREACH OF CONTRACT, BREACH OF PRIVACY, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF A GOODLAWYER REPRESENTATIVE WAS ALLEGEDLY ADVISED OR HAD REASON TO KNOW, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR RELIANCE ON ANY LEGAL SERCIVE CONTRACT OR LEGAL SERVICES DELIVERED THROUGH THE PLATFORM.

9. General Release

This Section discusses your agreement not to hold the Goodlawyer Representatives responsible for any dispute you may have with another User, as detailed below.

In addition to the recognition that Goodlawyer is not a party to any Legal Service Contract between a Client and a Lawyer, you hereby release the Goodlawyer Representatives from claims, demands, and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, arising out of or in any way connected with any dispute you have with another User, whether it be at law or in equity.

This release includes, without limitation, any disputes concerning the performance, function, and quality of the Legal Services provided to a Client by a Lawyer and requests for refunds based upon disputes in connection therewith.

10. Indemnification

This Section discusses your agreement to pay for any costs or losses we may suffer due to a claim brought against us related to your use of the Platform or your illegal or harmful conduct, as detailed below.

You will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Goodlawyer, our affiliates, and our respective directors, officers, employees, representatives, partners, and agents (each an “Indemnified Party”) from any and all claims, losses and liabilities of any kind relating to or arising out of:

the use of the Platform by you or your agents, including any payment obligations or default incurred through use of the Platform;
any claim related to a Legal Services Contract and/or the delivery or failure to delivery Legal Services through the Platform;
any employment-related claims involving Goodlawyer’s classification as an employer or joint employer of a Lawyer, including any claims for unpaid wages or other compensation, overtime pay, sick leave, holiday or vacation pay, retirement benefits, worker’s compensation benefits, unemployment benefits, or any other employee benefits;
failure to comply with the Terms of Service by you or your agents;
failure to comply with Applicable Law by you or your agents;
negligence, willful misconduct, or fraud by you or your agents; and
defamation, libel, violation of privacy rights, unfair competition, or infringement of intellectual property rights or allegations thereof to the extent caused by you or your agents.

For purposes of this Section, your agents shall include any person who has apparent authority to access or use your Account, as demonstrated by using your username and password.

11. Goodlawyer Remedies

Subject to Applicable Laws, without limiting our other rights or remedies, Goodlawyer may, in our sole and exclusive determination, temporarily or indefinitely: (i) deny any Account registration; (ii) refuse to provide any or all Platform Services to you; and/or (iii) deactivate or suspend your Account.

If your Account is temporarily or permanently deactivated or suspended, you may not use the Platform under a different Account or reregister under a new Account without Goodlawyer’s prior written consent.

Except as otherwise required by Applicable Law, if your Account is deactivated or suspended for any reason, you may lose access to any data, messages, files, or other material or documentation stored in your Account and any deactivation or suspension of your Account may involve the deletion of any data, messages, files, or other material or documentation stored in your Account for which Goodlawyer will have no liability whatsoever. Goodlawyer, in its sole discretion and as permitted or required by Applicable Law, may retain some or all of your Account information.

You acknowledge and agree that the value, reputation, and goodwill of the Platform depend on transparency of User’s Account status to all Users, including both yourself and other Users who have entered into Legal Service Contracts with you. You therefore agree as follows:

IF GOODLAWYER DECIDES TO DEACTIVATE OR SUSPEND YOUR ACCOUNT TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY, GOODLAWYER HAS THE RIGHT, SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE LAW: (i) NOTIFY OTHER USERS THAT HAVE ENTERED INTO LEGAL SERVICE CONTRACTS WITH YOU TO INFORM THEM OF YOUR ACCOUNT STATUS; AND (II) PROVIDE THOSE USERS WITH A SUMMARY OF THE REASONS FOR YOUR ACCOUNT DEACTIVATION OR SUSPENSION. YOU AGREE THAT GOODLAWYER SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO ANY NOTICE THAT IT MAY PROVIDE TO ANY USER REGARDING A DEACTIVATED OR SUSPENDED ACCOUNT STATUS OR THE REASON(S) FOR SUCH DEACTIVATION OR SUSPENSION.

12. User Claims and Dispute Resolutions (Arbitration Provisions)

If a dispute arises between you and Goodlawyer, our goal is to resolve the dispute quickly, cost-effectively, and in a friendly manner.

Accordingly, you agree to resolve any claim, dispute, or controversy arising out of or relating to your use of the Platform or otherwise arising out of or relating to your relationship with Goodlawyer or the Platform or the termination of any such relationship (each, a “Claim”) in accordance with the following dispute resolution provisions (the “Arbitration Provisions”).

The Arbitration Provisions apply to all Users and Claims are governed by and shall be construed following the laws of the Province of Alberta, Canada. The Terms of Service and the Arbitration Provisions continue to survive and apply after your relationship with Goodlawyer ends.

Before serving a demand for arbitration of a Claim, you agree to first notify Goodlawyer of the Claim by email to help@goodlawyer.ca (a “Claim Notice”). You shall then seek informal voluntary resolution of the Claim. A valid Claim Notice must include all pertinent Account information, as well as a sufficient description of the nature of the Claim so that Goodlawyer may evaluate the merit of the Claim and attempt to resolve the Claim.

In the unlikely event the parties are unable to resolve a Claim within 60 days following Goodlawyer’s receipt of a Claim Notice, you agree to only seek further resolution of the Claim by final and binding arbitration before a neutral arbitrator selected by Goodlawyer instead of a court or jury.

Except as otherwise provided herein, arbitration will be conducted in Calgary, Alberta.

Any party will have the right to appear at the arbitration by telephone and/or video rather than in person.

The arbitrator must follow and apply laws of the Province of Alberta and may award only those remedies that would have applied had the matter been heard in court. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrator’s decision in any court having jurisdiction.

Notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms, no amendment to the Arbitration Provisions will apply to any matter pending in an arbitration proceeding brought under the Arbitration Provisions unless all parties to that arbitration consent in writing to that amendment.

These Arbitration Provisions are the full and complete agreement relating to the formal resolution of Claims and all Claims shall be decided by an arbitrator and not by a court. The parties expressly agree that the arbitrator and not a court will decide any question of whether the User agreed to arbitrate its Claim, including but not limited to any Claim that all or part of these Arbitration Provisions or any other part of the Terms of Service is void or voidable.

In the event any portion of these Arbitration Provisions are deemed unenforceable, the remainder of these Arbitration Provisions will be enforceable. If any portion of the Class Action Waiver is deemed to be unenforceable, you agree that these Arbitration Provisions shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Class Action Waiver

You agree to bring any Claim in arbitration on an individual basis only, and not on a class or collective basis on behalf of others. There will be no right or authority for any Claim to be brought, heard, or arbitrated as a class or collective action, or as a member in any such class or collective proceeding (the “Class Action Waiver”).

Notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms, disputes about the enforceability, revocability, scope, or validity or breach of the Class Action Waiver may be resolved only by a civil court of competent jurisdiction and not by an arbitrator.

Goodlawyer may lawfully seek enforcement of these Arbitration Provisions and the Class Action Waiver under the Arbitration Act (Alberta) and seek dismissal of class or collective actions or claims.

Opt-Out of Arbitration Provision

You may opt out of the preceding Arbitration Provisions by notifying Goodlawyer in writing within 30 days of the date you first registered for the Platform. To opt out, you must send a written notification to Goodlawyer at help@goodlawyer.ca. that includes:

Your Account details;
Your name;
Your address;
Your telephone number;
Your email address; and
A statement saying that you wish to opt out of the Arbitration Provision.

13. General Provisions

Governing Law

The Terms of Service will be interpreted following the laws of the Province of Alberta and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions.

Any legal proceedings not captured and governed by the Arbitration Provisions must be brought in the courts of Calgary, Alberta, Canada unless Goodlawyer agrees to some other location in its sole discretion.

You and consent to venue and personal jurisdiction in Calgary, Alberta.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision will be struck and will not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.

Non-Assignability

You may not assign, transfer, or delegate your obligations pursuant to the Terms of Service and your rights and obligations hereunder without our prior written consent. Goodlawyer may without restriction assign, transfer or delegate any of its rights and obligations hereunder, at its sole discretion, without notice to you.

No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision in these Terms will not constitute a waiver of such right or provision unless acknowledged and agreed to by us in writing. Except as expressly stated in these Terms, the exercise by either party of any of its remedies under these Terms will be without prejudice to its other remedies under these Terms or otherwise permitted under Applicable Laws.

Access Outside of Canada

The Platform should not be accessed outside of Canada and cannot be used for the provision of Legal Services in any country other than Canada.

Entire Agreement

Except as they may be supplemented by additional terms and conditions, policies, guidelines or standards, the Terms of Service constitute the entire agreement between Goodlawyer and the User pertaining to the subject matter thereof, and supersede any and all prior oral or written understandings or agreements between Goodlawyer and you in relation to your access to, and use of, the Platform.

Defined Terms

Any capitalized terms used in these Terms that are not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in our Privacy Policy.

“Account” means a Client Account or a Lawyer Account;

“Aggregate Fee” means, as applicable, the sum of the Legal Fee, Service Fee, government fees, disbursements and applicable Indirect Taxes payable by a Client in respect of the delivery of Legal Services pursuant to the terms of a particular Legal Service Contract;

“Applicable Laws” means any applicable statute, law, regulation, rule, court order, common law, judgment, decree, other requirement or rule of law of any Governmental Authority having appropriate jurisdiction over the Company and the Platform;

“Application” means the Website and any applicable web, mobile, tablet or other smart-device applications, and application program interfaces:

“Arbitration Provisions” has the meaning given to such term under the heading User Claims and Dispute Resolution (Arbitration Provisions);

“Claim” has the meaning given to such term under the heading User Claims and Dispute Resolution (Arbitration Provisions);

“Claim Notice” has the meaning given to such term under the heading User Claims and Dispute Resolution (Arbitration Provisions);

“Class Action Waiver” has the meaning given to such term under the heading User Claims and Dispute Resolution (Arbitration Provisions) – Class Action Waiver;

“Client” means a User, being an individual or Organization, that creates a Client Account to request Legal Services. Where a User creates a Client Account to request Legal Services for him or herself, as an individual, then Client means that individual. Where a User creates a Client Account on behalf of and as an authorized representative or as an agent of an Organization, then the Client means that Organization.

“Client Account” has the meaning given to such term under the heading Goodlawyer Accounts – Account Types – Client Account;

“Company” means Goodlawyer Inc.;

“Custom Quote” or “Custom Job” means a unique scope of legal work that is not otherwise available or appropriate for selection and delivery through the Platform as a Fixed-Fee Service, and which includes a corresponding price estimate for the completion of such customized legal or advisory services;

“Default” has the meaning given to such term under the heading Fees and Payments – Default and Non-Payment of Fees

“Fixed-Fee Service” means the legal services listed on the Platform for which a fixed price is directly associated and which are available for a Client to engage a Lawyer to complete through the Platform pursuant to a Legal Service Contract;

“Goodlawyer Content” means documents and information, such as text, photos, audio, video, articles, blog posts, forms, templates, documents, or other materials and information created by Goodlawyer or otherwise made available by Goodlawyer through on or through the Platform, but excludes User Content;

"Goodlawyer Representatives” has the meaning given to such term under the heading Limitation of Liability;

“Government Authority” means any Canadian federal, provincial, territorial or municipal government or political subdivision thereof, or any agency of such government or political subdivision, or any self-regulated organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority or quasi-governmental authority (to the extent that the rules, regulations or orders of such organization or authority have the force of Law), or any arbitrator, court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction.

“Indirect Taxes” means any harmonized sales tax (HST), provincial sales tax (PST), goods and services tax (GST), value-added tax, use and excise taxes, and any other similar taxes, duties, and charges of any kind imposed by any governmental authority in connection with the requisition and delivery of Legal Services pursuant to a Legal Service Contract.

“Lawyer” means a User, being an individual licensed to practice law in a province or territory of Canada that is in good standing with the governing body of the legal profession to which they are subject, that creates a Lawyer Account to offer, provide, deliver and bill Legal Services through the Platform.

“Lawyer Account” has the meaning given to such term under the heading Goodlawyer Accounts – Account Types – Lawyer Account;

“Legal Service Contract“ has the meaning given to such term under the heading Goodlawyer Overview;

“Legal Services“ means any Fixed-Fee Services or any Custom Quote or Custom Job, as applicable, including any amendments or supplements thereto, that may be requested by a Client for delivery by a Lawyer over the Platform pursuant to a Legal Service Contract;

“Mobile Features” means Platform features that enable Users to access the Platform using a mobile device, including by sending and receiving messages on your mobile device that relate to Goodlawyer, the Platform or your Account;

“Notices” has the meaning given to such term under the heading Goodlawyer Overview – Electronic Communications;

“Organization” means any person other than a natural person, including a corporation, association (whether incorporated or unincorporated), society, partnership, limited partnership, trust, mutual fund, charity, or not-for-profit other than any governmental entity;

“Payment Method” has the meaning given to such term under the heading Fees and Payments – User Payment Methods and Authorizations;

“Payment Services” has the meaning given to such term under the heading Fees and Payments;

“Payments Data Controller” means Stripe, Inc. and its affiliates, including Stripe Payments Canada, Ltd.

“Platform” means the Website, Application and Platform Services;

“Platform Services” means all associated services facilitated by the Website and the Application

“Pre-Authorization” has the meaning given to such term under the heading Fees and Payments – User Payment Methods and Authorizations;

“Privacy Policy” means the most recent version of the Privacy Policy posted at the following link: https://www.goodlawyer.ca/policy/privacy;

“Proprietary Materials” has the meaning given to such term under the heading The Platform – Ownership;

“Rating” means publicly available score, measured on a 5-point scale, that is provided by a Client following the delivery of Legal Services pursuant to a Legal Service Contract and in respect of the Lawyer that delivered such Legal Services. Ratings reflect the opinions and experiences of individual Clients and do not reflect the opinion of Goodlawyer;

“Retainer Agreement” means the most recent version of the Retainer Agreement posted at the following link: https://www.goodlawyer.ca/policy/goodlawyer-retainer;

“Review” means a publicly available narrative review that is provided by a Client following the delivery of Legal Services pursuant to a Legal Service Contract and in respect of the Lawyer that delivered such Legal Services. Reviews reflect the opinions and experiences of individual Clients and do not reflect the opinion of Goodlawyer;

“Service Fee” means the transaction-based service fee payable by the Client to Goodlawyer in consideration of the Client’s use of the Platform enter into a Legal Service Contract, as well as for the advanced search functionality and the Payment Services;

“Terms” means these Terms of Use;

“Terms of Service” means the Terms together with the Privacy Policy and Retainer Agreement

“User” means any visitor to or user of the Platform, including a Client or a Lawyer;

“User Content” has the meaning given to such term under the heading User Generated Content;

“Website” means Goodlawyer.ca and any subdomains thereof, and any other websites through which Goodlawyer makes its services available.

Need some help?

Message us

Goodlawyer is an interactive online service that makes it faster and easier for clients to find and hire legal help solely based on their preferences. We are not a law firm, do not provide any legal services, legal advice or “lawyer referral services” and do not provide or participate in any legal representation.