I initially retained this law firm on a contingency basis last summer. The lawyer handling my file stopped responding, then I checked their website and his bio was missing; he was no longer there. I phoned and Mr. Snyder returned my call. It turns out this lawyer was gone for quite some time but nobody from this law firm contacted me to tell me that. I was basically left hanging at first until I contacted them myself. He told me the firm was still able to assist me and that someone would contact me the following week. I waited three weeks and never received a call.
I couldn't help but wonder whether the nature of my case played a role. My lawsuit is against the RCMP, and I know that many law firms are reluctant to take on that type of case.
Mr. Snyder also told me that my lawyer was on an indefinite medical leave, which concerned me because he was very kind and professional.
Eventually, that same lawyer contacted me after joining another law firm. He was never sick; Mr. Snyder was actually being dishonest. He told me he left this firm abruptly and expressed negative opinions about his experience there. I can only speak to what I was told, but it certainly added to my concerns, and after my personal experience with them, that doesn't surprise me. He warned me that they will try to gouge me for money.
Although my case was accepted on a contingency basis almost a year ago, I have continued receiving requests for approximately $814 in fees, which relate to opening the file and filing costs. I have now received a collection letter in the mail, with interest of about $60.
As a Canadian military veteran living on a fixed income, $875 is a significant amount of money to me. One of the reasons many people seek lawyers who work on contingency is because they can't afford hourly legal costs. It's quite petty of this law firm to be continually harassing me for this much money. I am worried that it will be sent to collections, which will cause me real financial hardship. read more
