Practice Areas
Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB)
Representation for landlords and tenants in residential tenancy matters, including:
- Non-payment of rent and arrears
- Lease terminations and eviction proceedings
- Maintenance and repair disputes
- Illegal evictions, harassment, and interference with reasonable enjoyment
- Applications before the Landlord and Tenant Board
- Enforcement of LTB orders and monetary judgments
Property Assessment and Taxation
Assistance with MPAC assessment disputes, property classification issues, and Assessment Review Board matters involving improper or excessive property taxation.
Short-Term Rentals (STRs)
Support for property owners, hosts, and operators dealing with municipal short-term rental requirements, including:
- New and renewal licence applications
- Zoning and compliance issues
- Responsible Person requirements
- Incident response and municipal correspondence
- Licence denials, suspensions, and revocation appeals
- Ongoing compliance support
Small Claims Court
Small Claims Court matters often involve more than money. They can involve accountability, fairness, and the practical recovery of losses.
Assistance is available for claims involving:
- Unpaid invoices or loans
- Breach of contract
- Property damage
- Unreturned deposits or rent
- Poor or incomplete services
- Undelivered goods
- Misrepresentation
Support may include claim or defence preparation, evidence organization, service of documents, settlement discussions, hearing preparation, and enforcement of judgments.
Most claims must be started within two years of discovering the loss.
Environmental and Land Use Matters
Support with regulatory, administrative, and tribunal matters involving:
- Environmental Protection Act offences
- Conservation and land use restrictions
- Municipal compliance issues
- Property access and land use disputes
- Expropriation-related administrative or tribunal processes, with referrals where Superior Court proceedings are required
Provincial Offences and Regulatory Matters
Regulatory enforcement can carry serious consequences, including fines, licence impacts, compliance orders, and restrictions on livelihood or property use.
Assistance is available for matters involving:
- Hunting and fishing charges
- Environmental offences
- Municipal by-law prosecutions
- Fire Safety Commission matters
- Animal Care Review Board matters
- Other provincial offence and regulatory proceedings within paralegal scope
Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
Representation in human rights matters involving discrimination, harassment, reprisal, and accessibility disputes in areas such as employment, housing, and services.
Workplace and Regulatory Disputes
Assistance with workplace and employment-related disputes within paralegal scope, including:
- Non-union employment disputes
- Wrongful dismissal matters within Small Claims Court jurisdiction
- Employment standards issues
- Workplace-related human rights complaints
- Licensing or compliance issues affecting the ability to work
Benefits and Federal Appeals
Support with administrative appeals and benefit-related matters, including:
- ODSP appeals
- Ontario Works appeals
- CPP, OAS, and EI appeals before the Social Security Tribunal of Canada
Record Suspensions (Pardons)
Assistance with Parole Board of Canada record suspension applications, including document review, preparation, and submission guidance.
Process Serving
Professional process serving for legal documents.
Service includes:
- Two service attempts
- Sworn affidavit of service
- Service from Gooderham, Ontario
- Rush service, updates, monitoring, printing, and mailing available where required
- Fee: $90 plus $0.52 per kilometre from Gooderham, Ontario.
Retained Legal Team
Meet the team
Retained Legal Services is a paralegal practice based in the Haliburton Highlands, serving clients across Ontario. The practice assists individuals, property owners, and small businesses with legal disputes and regulatory matters that require careful attention to process and timing.
Many of the matters handled involve systems that are procedural and unforgiving. Deadlines are fixed, documentation requirements are specific, and small mistakes can create larger problems. Whether the issue involves a tenancy dispute, a licensing or compliance matter, a tribunal appeal, or a Small Claims Court action, the outcome often depends on understanding the rules and responding correctly.
Each file is reviewed before any steps are taken. Not every disagreement should be pushed into a legal forum, and clients are not encouraged to pursue matters that are unlikely to succeed or that do not justify the cost and effort involved. When a matter does move forward, the focus is on accuracy, preparation, and realistic expectations.
All work is carried out by a paralegal licensed with the Law Society of Ontario. Clients are provided with clear explanations of the process, organized preparation of materials, and support that reflects how these systems function in practice, not how they are described in theory.
The role of Retained Legal Services is straightforward: to help clients navigate legal processes competently, avoid unnecessary missteps, and move forward with a clear understanding of where they stand and what comes next.