Our Policies

As criminal defence lawyers, we frequently attend court for our clients. Unfortunately, this often means we miss their phone calls during business hours. However, it is our policy to return the call or email as soon as possible, usually within the same day. Our legal assistant can often provide the client with the desired information if the client calls during business hours. Whenever there is a noteworthy development in a case, it is our practice to contact the client as soon as we are able, usually by telephone, to keep them informed of any progress. It is extremely important, therefore, that clients keep us up-to-date with their contact information.

We require a retainer prior to beginning to act for any client. The amount of the retainer will vary depending on the estimated complexity of any particular case. We accept payment by cash, debit, credit card or personal cheque. It is our policy on all trial files to mail our clients a fee schedule setting out when legal fees are due in full, usually approximately three months prior to the trial. We are happy to arrange a payment schedule for any clients that require it. If the necessary fees are not paid by the due date, we reserve the right to withdraw as counsel on the matter and bill our fees to that date.

If you retain Jaswal & Krueger to represent you on your criminal charges, we will advise you fully at each step of the court process. We will also clearly advise you of our very competitive fee schedule.

We will explain the nature of the charges against you, your various options and the potential consequences. We will obtain disclosure from the Crown of the evidence they intend to rely on in prosecuting your case. We will review those documents in detail, research the applicable law and provide you with our opinion about the relative strength or weakness of the Crown’s case against you. We will usually make your pretrial court appearances for you, and we will meet with the Crown lawyer and discuss any possible early resolution of your case. We will file the necessary documents to ensure that your case complies with the Caseflow Management Rules. We will discuss with you the advantages and disadvantages of an early guilty plea, and if you decide to plead guilty, we will present your case, including your personal circumstances in a positive manner, seeking the best possible sentence from the court.

If your case proceeds to the trial stage, we will advise you of the various possible procedural options available to you and, in consultation with you, plan the defence strategy. We will prepare you if your testimony is required, and discuss with you any other potential witnesses, including experts. At the trial, we will vigorously present your case including the cross-examination of Crown witnesses, making legal arguments and presenting defence evidence.

Once the matter of guilt or innocence has been decided, and any sentence handed down, should you be entitled to the return of any items seized by the police, or wish your photograph and fingerprints removed from the police computers, we can advise you or represent you in this process as well. Depending on the complexity of these matters, additional fees may be charged.

As lawyers we are bound to uphold solicitor-client privilege. When you discuss your case with us, we are legally bound to protect your privacy, and we will not disclose to anyone what you tell us about your case.

While we endeavour to provide accurate, up-to-date, applicable legal information on our web site, due to ongoing developments in the law, we cannot at any particular time guarantee the accuracy of the information provided on this site or through our links. The information contained on our web site is not to be construed as legal advice. The cases cited and examples given on this web site reflect the specific facts of those cases and may not be relied on to predict the results in any other case. Results will vary due to the specifics of each situation. We urge you to consult a lawyer qualified to advise you about your unique case before you rely on any of the information or examples contained on this web site.