We are a national law firm focused exclusively on disability claims. Our London disability lawyers help you win benefits for short-term disability, long-term disability, CPP disability, workers’ compensation, disability tax credit, and employment.
- Pay nothing unless we win
- Satisfaction & Fair Fee Guarantee
- No travel or office visits needed
Did your disability claim get denied? Do you need to appeal but are not sure where to start? Are you looking for a firm that only gets paid if they win? If you answered YES, then call us at (888) 732-0470 for a free disability case evaluation.
We believe no Canadian should be denied disability benefits because of legal technicalities. We have made it our mission to empower you through education, advocacy and legal services.
While it is hard to come to terms with being unable to work, we know the worst part is dealing with others who question your work ethic and motives. We help vindicate you using our signature process, The Story Alignment Method™. This process focuses on winning your claim by aligning your story with the expectations and beliefs of the claim decision-makers. Others will come to appreciate that stopping work and going on sick leave was the last thing you wanted.
Finally, we use a client-centred approach to focus on the speed of results. We have never had a client tell us to take our time with their disability claim. We know every day puts you further in the hole. This is why we focus on early intervention and helping you win at the application and internal appeal stages. Lawsuits should be your last resort.
Practice Areas
We focus exclusively on disability claims. Click on the links below to learn more about how our Brampton disability lawyers can help you:
- Long-term Disability
- Short-term Disability
- CPP Disability
- Workers Compensation
- Disability Tax Credit
- Life Insurance
- Critical Illness Insurance
Office Location
25 Adelaide St. East, Suite 1719. Toronto, ON M5C3A1.
Our London Disability Lawyers
What is a disability lawyer?
A disability lawyer is a lawyer who focuses their legal work on disability-related claims and issues. There is no official certification for a lawyer to be a disability lawyer. So, really any lawyer can say they are a disability lawyer. You have to do your own due diligence to determine the extent of a lawyer’s experience with disability claims.
Is it better to hire a lawyer for a long-term disability case?
This is a very common question that doesn’t have an absolute yes or no answer. Whether it is better for you to work with disability lawyers in London 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.
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
What does a disability lawyer do?
Disability lawyers are responsible for many things, including:
- taking over all communications with the insurance company
- getting a complete copy of your claim file from the insurance company or agency
- identifying the red flags that are causing (or will cause) your claim to be denied
- obtaining medical reports and other records necessary for claim approval
- preparing your application forms or appeal letters
- filing lawsuits against the insurance company
- negotiating approval of your claim or a one-time financial settlement
What does it cost to hire a disability lawyer?
At Resolute Legal, we believe everyone should have access to quality legal representation, no matter their financial circumstances. We work on a contingency fee basis. So, you down owe us anything upfront, and our legal fee is a percentage of the funds we get for you.
What does it cost to hire disability lawyers in London? I have seen costs go from as low as $150 for a one-time consultation to as high as $150,000 (or more) for representation in complex disability lawsuits that recover compensation into the millions. The cost is as unique as your situation.
The cost of hiring a disability lawyer depends on three main drivers of legal costs: the scope of work you need to be done, the experience of the lawyer, and the financial risk assumed by the lawyer.
The scope of work to be done
The scope of work refers to the type, amount, and difficulty of work you want the lawyer to do. Do you want one consultation to explore your options? Do you need a lawyer to help with paperwork for a few days? Or do you need full legal representation for several months?
Depending on what you need to be done, the legal costs can fall into these ranges:
- $50 to $500 for one-time consultations
- $5,000 to $7,500 for internal appeals
- $5,000 to $15,000 for disability appeal hearings
- $15,000 to $100,000 (or more) for complex disability lawsuits done on a no-win, no-fee basis
The lawyer’s experience & skill
Some lawyers are more expensive than other lawyers. You will generally pay more for lawyers who have a higher level of experience or who have a high demand for their services. Lawyers with less experience or less demand for their services will typically charge less.
It’s important to understand that lawyers are not all the same. If you are going to pay more for a lawyer or law firm, make sure you do your homework to ensure the lawyer or firm has the experience and reputation necessary to justify the higher-than-normal rates.
The lawyer’s financial risk
Generally speaking, you will pay more for legal services if your lawyer takes on the risk of not being paid for the work done. For example, if your lawyer only gets paid if they win disability benefits or a financial settlement, then you can expect the costs to be higher to account for the risk. This type of pricing is seen in no-win, no-fee agreements.
On the other hand, if your lawyer gets paid regardless of the outcome of the case, you can expect the legal fees to be less than they would be in a no-win, no-fee situation.
To learn more about the costs of hiring a lawyer, see my article:
How Much Does a Disability Lawyer Cost in Canada?
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.
Experienced disability lawyers in London 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 or a financial settlement. When they don’t understand or appreciate the context, they are more likely to take actions that are less effective at securing approval of 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 win approval for benefits will depend on the context of your situation.
What are the problems with hiring a London disability lawyer?
In our experience, the biggest problems with hiring a disability lawyer are: 1) Hiring a lawyer when it isn’t necessary, 2) Realizing the lawyer is a bad fit after you hire them, or 3) Getting overcharged by the lawyer. We help you avoid these problems by educating you about the disability claim process. During your free case evaluation, we give you our honest opinion on whether it makes sense for you to get a lawyer. We help you avoid buyer’s remorse with our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. We take away your fears of being overcharged with our Fair Fee Guarantee.
Who is the best disability lawyer in London?
This is the question most people want 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 who is London’s best disability lawyer.
It’s important to understand that lawyers in London 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” to other lawyers. In other words, lawyers cannot outright claim to be the best lawyer or say that they are better than other lawyers.
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. Some lawyer awards are legitimate; however, many of them 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.
What are the alternatives to hiring a London disability lawyer?
While we are a law firm, 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 and appeals. 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.
List of disability lawyers serving London
During consultations with people who are considering hiring a lawyer, I am often asked, “Who are your competitors in London?” I have no problem answering this question. In fact, you are in luck because I believe Ontario has the highest density of disability lawyers in the country! So you have lots of choices.
When I give people a list of competitors to consider, I focus on law firms that I know 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:
- Howie, Sacks & Henry
- Waxman and Associates
- Kotak Disability Law
- Yazdani Law Office
- Share Lawyers
- Samfiru Tumarkin
- Preszler Law Firm
- MK Disability Lawyers
* Please note that 75% is just the figure I have chosen for the purposes of this guide. A lawyer or law 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. If you know of a lawyer or law firm that should be added to this list, please contact my office. We will add them once we verify that they meet the “75% disability claims” criteria.
Why Resolute Legal?
We focus exclusively on disability claims nationwide. We believe in putting you first. This starts with our education-first philosophy. We think the more you know, the better decisions you will make. This is why we give away all of our information in our books and articles on this website. We don’t hold anything back.
Our 100% Satisfaction & Fair Fee Guarantee takes away any financial risks or fears you have of making a bad hiring decision or about being overcharged at the end. We believe in helping you early on, so you can avoid delays in getting payments started. We never pressure you to take a lump-sum settlement when a claim approval would be better for you.
Next Step
Call our disability claim support team at (888) 423-0470 for a free case evaluation, or fill out this form to get started. Our disability case evaluation will answer most of your questions and will show you how we will move forward with your claim. Our disability support team are nice people and don’t pressure you to hire us.
If you you aren’t quite ready to speak with us now, we recommend you download our 7-Step Guide to Hiring a Disability Lawyer. Fill out the form below.
