Intake Process

Goldhawk Employment Law operates a curated legal practice.The curation process involves hand-selecting matters where the firm hopes to make the largest impact to the result. The firm’s first priority is to current clients. This intake process ensures a manageable file load, which allows the necessary time and resources to be devoted to existing clients.

Step 1: Initial Review

Make your initial contact to Goldhawk Employment Law’s confidential intake email, intake@goldhawk.com, or the firm’s 24-hour confidential intake line, 437-800-0702.

You will be asked for basic, legally significant details about yourself and your employment situation, including the following:

  • Your age;

  • Your length of service;

  • Where you worked;

  • Your job title;

  • Your compensation;

  • Details of your employment termination (if applicable); and

  • Any other details you wish to provide.

Additionally, you will be invited to share any documents you would like to have reviewed. At a minimum, it is absolutely essential that you at least share the following documents:

  • Your contract of employment/offer letter/employment agreement (if you have one); and

  • Your termination letter (if you have one).

Step 2: Free Phone Consultation

Qualifying clients are offered a 30-minute free phone consultation with Nick Goldhawk. Nick will ask you for more details about your situation to determine the appropriate fit and explore strategies and options for addressing your situation. You will never be charged a fee for this consultation, and there is no obligation to you arising out of it.

This is your time to ask any questions you might have about your case, the firm, Nick, or anything else that might be on your mind. Frequent topics of conversation include the following:

  • What your legal entitlements might be, and what goes into that determination;

  • How long can you wait before deciding what to do;

  • Whether and how certain details of your situation might translate to a financial entitlement;

  • Timelines for resolving your case;

  • Strategies, including the interplay between negotiation and litigation;

  • Choice of venue (i.e., choosing between superior court, small claims court, human rights tribunals, labour boards, etc.);

  • Fees and disbursements should you choose to retain Goldhawk Employmet Law.

At the conclusion of this call, Nick will discuss the potential for Goldhawk Employment Law’s involvement in your matter, and fee options, including contingency fees and/or flat fees.

Step 3: Retainer

Qualifying clients are offered Goldhawk Employment Law’s services.

The firm offers two main fee structures: Contingency fees, and flat fees.

  1. Contingency fees

    Goldhawk Employment Law’s standard contingency fee is 33% of the improvement. This fee does not apply to any amounts you have already been offered at the time of your phone consultation. If there is no improvement, you do not pay a fee.

    Goldhawk Employment Law charges zero upfront fees under a contingency fee arrangement. Contingency fees are based on the result, and paid after that result has been achieved.

    Disbursements are litigation expenses (such as court filing fees, process servers, etc.) that Goldhawk Employment Law incurs on your behalf. Goldhawk Employment Law will cover your disbursements, which are then reimbursed from the settlement funds at the conclusion of your matter. Your contingency fee does not apply to any amounts recovered that go towards paying disbursements.

    In certain matters (such as appeals or matters involving counterclaims), your contingency fee may be 40%. Goldhawk Employment Law will never charge a contingency fee in excess of 40%.

    HST is charged on all fees and is not included in the contingency percentage.

  2. Flat Fee model

    Goldhawk Employment Law offers fees on a flat-fee model. A flat fee is charged for each stage of the litigation process. Flat fees are paid up front, and the work does not begin until the fee is paid.

    Flat fees vary depending on the complexity of the matter. In a typical wrongful dismissal matter, the flat fee for an initial demand letter and pre-litigaiton settlement negotiations is $2,500+HST, plus $1,500+HST to review and finalize settlement documentation (where applicable). Flat fees beyond the initial negotiation stage will vary significantly depending on the complexity of the matter. Goldhawk Employment Law will forecast flat fee costs at each stage, prior to commencing litigaiton.