A lawsuit can be used to address a wide variety of disputes including outstanding debts, terms of contracts, or claims for injury to a person, their property or reputation. To best set your claim up for success, learn what basic information we would need from you, the client, in order to assist you in starting a lawsuit here in British Columbia.
WHAT YOUR LAWYER NEEDS FROM YOU
Your lawyer can best serve you if they have a clear picture of this issue and goal. It is important to gather the following information to the best of your abilities:
THE BACKGROUND FACT
We need to gather all of the available facts from the client and also review all of the client’s relevant documents (contracts, work orders, invoices, credit applications, account statements, etc.). Preferably you will provide us with a written chronology of the facts.
THE PROPER LEGAL NAMES OF THE DEFENDANTS
We will need the defendant’s proper legal names and addresses. If the defendant(s) is a company, it will be necessary to conduct corporate searches to determine the defendant’s proper legal name.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEFENDANT'S ASSETS
Any information you have about the defendant’s assets should also be provided. This information could include:
do they own real estate
where do they bank (do you have a copy of a cancelled cheque)
where do they work
if they are a business, who are their customers
We can do searches in the Land Title Office to find out if the defendant owns any real estate as well as in the Personal Property Registry to see if they have any personal property (ie. a car) which could be seized.
This information can help you decide whether it is worthwhile to pursue the matter. It can also help us to decide whether or not it would be worthwhile to take steps before judgment to try and secure payment such as a garnishing order.
A RETAINER
We will require a retainer from the client before we file a lawsuit. The amount of retainer we require will vary depending on the size and complexity of the matter. We will discuss the amount of retainer with you before we are retained.
Contact Us
If you are considering starting a lawsuit in BC, please feel free to contact us. Our team of lawyers would be happy to help you navigate your matter.
Call us at (604) 736 9791, or email ar@dwslaw.ca and we would be happy to assist.
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to serve as, or should be construed as legal advice, and is only to provide general information. No portion or use of this article will establish a lawyer-client relationship with the author or any related party. Should you require legal advice for your particular situation, please get in touch with us.