The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (FACL) has launched videos explaining your legal rights in a number of languages.  Working to "Bridge the Gap", as the program is called, between immigrant communities and the law, FACL has produced videos in English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean.  

The videos explain the human rights process and youth criminal justice issues.  By ensuring that the videos are informative and easy to understand, FACL hopes to demystify the process for all Canadians.

Do you need to notarize or commission a document?  Often a government, local or international, requires a document to be notarized or commissioned to add greater assurance that the contents of the document are genuine.  You may wonder what is required and what the difference is between getting a document notarized or commissioned.  You've come to the right place!  Below, you will find a short summary of the difference between the two, as well as a couple examples of when you may need to notarize or commission.

If you need a document notarized or commissioned, we would be happy to help you.  Contact us at contactus@mylawbid.com to ask about pricing and to schedule an appointment.&lt

In the latest edition of CBA Practice Link, MyLawBid Founder Jeff Fung was featured "Alt-Law: What to do when what you’re doing doesn’t do it for you" in the Out of the Ordinary section section. 

I'm excited to return to Queen's University Faculty of Law (Queen's Law) on Monday, January 21, 2013 to speak at "Technology on the Legal Frontier: The Future of Legal Practice in Canada", hosted by the Law Students for Technology and Innovation (LFTI).  LFTI is a wonderful initiative by law students like Ivan Merrow and David Frank who understand that technology continues to change the way in which law is practiced.

The other day, I was looking to buy cables for my new TV.  I searched a couple of stores and noticed that cables can range in price from $40 to $80. Realizing that I had a friend who worked at an electronics store, I asked if he might know the actual cost of these cables.  The answer amazed me, although I shouldn't have been surprised.

He explained that, since electronics stores essentially sell their TVs at cost, most of their money is made from the sale of their accessories.  Just like printers and printer cartridges, game consoles and individual games, TV accessories are the profit centre for electronics stores.  I still felt ripped off and got to thinking:

"Could this be how people feel when they have to pay for legal services?"

Receiving that notification from MyLawBid telling you that someone needs your expertise can be exciting.  Now, you can have prospective clients come directly to you when they need help and you don’t’even have to leave your computer, iPad, Blackberry or Android smartphone.

As you read the RLP, you get the sinking feeling that the person submitting the RLP might be fake:  the RLP is full of spelling and grammar mistakes, the legal description sounds unbelievable and, most notably, the prospective client’s name and contact information are not visible.

“What is MyLawBid doing to vet prospective clients?” you ask yourself.

In this blog, we hope to give you a better idea as to what factors the court might look into when determining how much compensation, if any, you deserve based on the common law.  As always, it is important to speak to an employment lawyer to better understand what you can expect based on your circumstances.

To find an employment lawyer with MyLawBid, click through the following link, select “Labour and Employment Law” and find a lawyer that best suits your legal and budgetary needs.

MyLawBid has the following tutorial videos available: 

• Registering with MyLawBid
• Completing Legal Professional Details
• Completing a Request for Legal Proposal (RLP)
• Lawyers and Law Firms Responding to an RLP
• Selecting Your Lawyer and Reviewing Responses to Your RLP
  

Sheryl Smolkin of The Toronto Star's Moneyville blog writes about MyLawBid and how it can help you.  The following is a brief excerpt from her article:

"MyLawBid.com is free and lets you anonymously complete an online form describing your issue. The form is sent to participating lawyers with a relevant practice. The lawyers respond describing their experience and how much they charge on an hourly or project basis. Applicants select the lawyer that best suits their legal and budgetary needs."