The Law Portal is a “virtual” law firm that offers lawyers the support of a firm, but the freedom and flexibility of managing their own practice. Like LinkedIn or Facebook, all of the members in the Law Portal’s community have profiles and can search for each other. In addition to helping our members connect, The Law Portal provides all of the tools necessary for our lawyers and support staff to collaborate on their files remotely.
Our head office is located at 600 – 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC. We have support staff on site who can receive and forward mail or couriered documents. Business mailing addresses can also be arranged in Richmond, Surrey, Langley, Maple Ridge, Burnaby, Port Moody, Victoria, and Kelowna.
Associates, Partners, and support staff who meet their minimal billing targets are provided with the following resources to help them communicate with clients and third parties:
Our central fax number is 604-648-8411 and our central phone number is 778-328-2828. A receptionist is currently available to answer phone calls from Monday – Thursday.
Membership as a Guest is private (your profile can only be viewed by other members after they log in), and there are no obligations or commitments. The public will only know that you’re a member of The Law Portal if you choose to post in our Public Forum or Blog page.
All associates receive client referrals and have unlimited access to support staff for all client files that are billed through The Law Portal.
Lawyers, legal assistants, and paralegals can book meeting rooms, boardrooms, training rooms, private office space, and shared office space through their portals. Locations include Vancouver (9 locations), Richmond, Surrey (3 locations), Langley, Maple Ridge, Burnaby (3 locations), Port Moody, Victoria (2 locations), and Kelowna (2 locations).
Associates that bill at least ten (collected) billable hours per month receive priority client referrals and free access to Microsoft Office Suite, Clio, a VoIP (RingCentral) account, and DivorceMate. (See below for more information)
If an associate is unable to meet our monthly billable target, we may require the associate to pay a monthly fee, which varies depending on the tools that the associate requests. Our current fees include:
Microsoft Office Suite*: $30 per month
Clio account**: $60 per month
VoIP (RingCentral) account***: $30 per month
DivorceMate account****: $20 per month
TOTAL (optional): $140.00 per month
We offer unlimited advancement opportunities for lawyers who are committed to excellence and driven to contribute to our firm’s growth. We’re always looking for exceptional and compassionate legal professionals to join our community. Join us, and you’ll have the chance to develop your career while playing a key role in our ongoing expansion and success.
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* Microsoft Office Suite: Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook (+ email address @thelawportal.ca), OneDrive, OneNote, PowerPoint, and MS Teams.
** Clio account: secure and confidential storage of client information and documents; access contacts; assign tasks to yourself, co-counsel, or support staff; enter time and expenses; view invoices; manage calendar, etc. (Find out more)
*** VoIP (RingCentral) account: free business phone number that can be used to make calls, send text messages, and e-faxes (fax via email) through a mobile or computer application (Windows and Mac OS compatible); advanced call options, such as call park, call flip, call forwarding; and call recording; video conferencing (up to 100 participants and up to 24-hour meeting duration); professional voicemail and greeting; transcribed voicemail; auto-receptionist; audio conferencing; and unlimited calls and text messaging in the US and Canada. (Find out more)
**** DivorceMate: industry-leading family law software available online on the cloud.
Associates can enter their time through their portals or in their own private Clio accounts.
Clio is the most trusted law practice management software in the world. Through a computer or mobile application, lawyers can:
Not necessarily. Lawyers are able to manage permissions and decide who will have access to their clients’ files. If a lawyer chooses to work with another lawyer, assistant, or paralegal with the Law Portal, these members can create a “group.” (See below: What are groups?)
Unless a lawyer authorizes access to other members of their group, none of the other lawyers or support staff with The Law Portal can access that lawyer’s client documents, communications, calendar, or invoices.
The only information that is accessible by all members of The Law Portal are Contacts entered in Clio. This is required to ensure accurate conflict checks.
Access to each client’s matter is restricted to that client’s legal team, or “group.” Aside from The Law Portal’s administrative staff, no lawyers or support staff have access to other lawyers’ client matters or confidential documents unless access is granted.
A group consists of the responsible lawyer and a legal assistant, paralegal, and/or co-counsel. Once a group is created, all members of that group will have access to their shared client file(s).
To create a group, lawyers can login to their portals and click on Groups. Then select Create New, and fill in the required information (group name, group members, location, and field of law)
The Law Portal will create the group and provide the members with access to the requested client matter(s).
Our lawyers retain 70% to 80% of their collected fees (after discounts), so you will retain significantly more of your earnings than you would as an associate at a typical law firm.
Our Share
The Law Portal’s share is 20% on files that lawyers obtain from external sources and 30% on files that were referred to lawyers by The Law Portal.
Client Discounts
When clients retain a local lawyer (a lawyer who is readily available to meet and attend court in person in the client’s jurisdiction) that lawyer will offer a minimum discount of 15% on his or her hourly rate. When clients retain a remote lawyer (a lawyer who is not readily available to meet or attend court in person) that lawyer will offer a minimum discount of 25% on his or her hourly rate.
Not only can our lawyers save their clients money and earn more while working less, our lawyers decide when to work and never have to ask for permission to go on holidays.
The Law Portal’s share is 20% on files that lawyers obtain from external sources and 30% on files that were referred to lawyers by The Law Portal.
Clients receive a minimum discount of 15% if they retain a local lawyer, and 25% if the lawyer is not within driving distance of the client’s area or court jurisdiction.
The Law Portal’s share: | 20% – 30% |
Client Discounts: | 15% – 25% |
Lawyer’s Share: | 45% – 65% |
Lawyers’ hourly rates are determined on a case-by-case basis, but the default hourly rates are based on the number of years of experience they have in their fields:
Years of Experience | Hourly Rate Before Discount |
1 | $250.00 |
2 | $275.00 |
3 | $300.00 |
4 | $325.00 |
5 | $350.00 |
6 | $375.00 |
7 | $400.00 |
8 | $425.00 |
9 | $450.00 |
10 | $475.00 |
> 10 | $500.00 |
In addition to the minimum discount of 25% offered by remote lawyers, we encourage lawyers to offer additional discounts and/or offer payment plans for clients who have low incomes.
Lawyers can assign tasks by logging into their portals at www.thelawportal.ca, or they can assign tasks to other Clio users by logging into their Clio accounts.
To assign a task in your portal after logging in at www.thelawportal.ca, click on ‘Reception Desk’ and go to ‘Request a Service.’
In this form, lawyers can enter the task that they need completed; request a specific member to complete the task (if applicable); and specify the amount of billable and non-billable time authorized to complete the task.
The Law Portal pays support staff for their time (whether billable or non-billable) for all client files billed through The Law Portal.
Lawyers are required to oversee the work of support staff, as the BC Law Society requires assistants and paralegals to work under the supervision of lawyers.
The Law Portal obtains clients through referral programs and marketing initiatives. Lawyers can also attract clients by answering questions from the public in our Public Forum. Whenever a lawyer answers a question in the public forum, a link to schedule a consultation will appear at the bottom of the lawyer’s post. If a client requests a consultation with a lawyer, we’ll contact the lawyer to confirm his or her availability and hourly rate before confirming the appointment.
Lawyers can also post blogs on The Law Portal’s Blog page to attract clients. All members (lawyers, legal assistants, and paralegals) can post blogs through their online portals. Blogs are monitored for quality assurance purposes, but members are free to write about any topics they believe will be helpful to our clients.
Any lawyer called to the bar in British Columbia can apply to work with The Law Portal. The Law Portal is intended to be used by collaborative legal professionals who want to support each other in their practices while providing compassionate and exceptional services for their clients. Lawyers must be in good standing with the Law Society of BC and should be able to demonstrate positive feedback from their clients and colleagues.
When a membership application is approved, that lawyer will receive a link via email to access their portal, where they can create a profile and start connecting and communicating with other legal professionals. The member will also receive our Member Handbook, which provides detailed information about how to access the benefits provided through The Law Portal.
Guests have no billing requirements.
Associates that bill at least ten (collected) billable hours per month receive priority client referrals and free access to Microsoft Office Suite, Clio, a VoIP (RingCentral) account, and DivorceMate. (See below for more information)
If an associate is unable to meet our monthly billable target, we may require the associate to pay a monthly fee, which varies depending on the tools that the associate requests. Our current fees include:
Microsoft Office Suite*: $30 per month
Clio account**: $60 per month
VoIP (RingCentral) account***: $30 per month
DivorceMate account****: $20 per month
TOTAL (optional): $140.00 per month
* Microsoft Office Suite: Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook (+ email address @thelawportal.ca), OneDrive, OneNote, PowerPoint, and MS Teams.
** Clio account: secure and confidential storage of client information and documents; access contacts; assign tasks to yourself, co-counsel, or support staff; enter time and expenses; view invoices; manage calendar, etc. (Find out more)
*** VoIP (RingCentral) account: free business phone number that can be used to make calls, send text messages, and e-faxes (fax via email) through a mobile or computer application (Windows and Mac OS compatible); advanced call options, such as call park, call flip, call forwarding; and call recording; video conferencing (up to 100 participants and up to 24-hour meeting duration); professional voicemail and greeting; transcribed voicemail; auto-receptionist; audio conferencing; and unlimited calls and text messaging in the US and Canada. (Find out more)
**** DivorceMate: industry-leading family law software available online on the cloud.
As soon as a lawyer becomes a member of The Law Portal, they’re provided with free access to an online portal, where they can search for other members, send direct messages, make connections, access our private Members’ Only Forum, and receive client referrals.
Associates receive the following free services and resources:
Associates that bill at least ten (collected) billable hours per month receive priority client referrals and free access to Microsoft Office Suite, Clio, a VoIP (RingCentral) account, and DivorceMate.
If an associate is unable to bill at least ten (collected) billable hours per month, he or she will receive access to the tools listed above in exchange for a monthly fee, which varies depending on the tools that the associate requests. For example:
Total (optional): $260 per month
Lawyers, legal assistants, and paralegals can book meeting rooms, boardrooms, training rooms, private office space, and shared office space through their portals.
Locations include Vancouver (9 locations), Richmond, Surrey (3 locations), Langley, Maple Ridge, Burnaby (3 locations), Port Moody, Victoria (2 locations), and Kelowna (2 locations).
(See Who pays for boardrooms and office space? below)
The Law Portal provides free access to meeting rooms (small rooms for up to 3 people) for up to one hour at any of our office locations, provided authorization for the expense is obtained in advance.
Boardrooms generally cost between $100.00 – $240.00 per day (for 8 hours), depending on the number of attendees, the duration of the meeting, and the location. Breakfast can be added for $12.00 per person, and lunch can be added for $20.00 per person. If a boardroom is required for mediation or a four-way meeting, these expenses will generally be billed to the client as a disbursement, unless otherwise agreed between the lawyer and client.
The Law Portal handles all tasks related to billing, bookkeeping, accounting, and trust management for our Associates and Partners. Lawyers do not have signing authority or personal access to the trust account, but their clients can pay funds into trust, and The Law Portal will pay those clients’ legal fees from trust.
Yes, sole practitioners may operate their own practices while working with The Law Portal, and lawyers can work for another law firm at the same time, provided: (1) the lawyer is not a partner of the other law firm; and (2) the partners of the other law firm consent to this arrangement.
Lawyers who work for two firms must do conflict checks with both firms, and the client must provide informed consent prior to the lawyer’s consultation with the client.
Note: Guests do not work for The Law Portal and they do not have access to any confidential client information, so anyone (including partners in other law firms) can join The Law Portal as a Guest.
The Law Portal will work with Clio to complete the migration of your contacts and client information upon request. This service is included in our free administrative support.
Members can post questions and provide answers to other members in the Members Only Forum. The purpose of the Members Only Forum is to offer mentorship and support to our members, most of whom are practicing from their homes and may feel isolated from other legal professionals. When you join The Law Portal, you’re joining a community of legal professionals who are committed to supporting each other and providing exceptional service to clients, regardless of how far apart they may be.
The purpose of the Public Forum is to assist the public with their legal questions and to attract clients to The Law Portal. When lawyers post an answer in the Public Forum, a link to “Schedule a Consult” will automatically appear at the bottom of the lawyer’s post.
We will contact you to confirm your availability and confirm that you do not have a conflict of interest before approving the consultation request.
Questions and comments are moderated to ensure that the Forum remains professional, respectful, and that members of The Law Portal and members of the public refrain from sharing information that should remain privileged or confidential. Members are encouraged to provide helpful legal information in the Public Forum, but they must refrain from providing legal advice.
The Law Portal ensures that access privileges are managed pursuant to the instructions of the responsible lawyer on each file.
Our Member Handbook provides step-by-step guides for:
The Law Portal has consulted extensively with practice advisors and has tailored our services and procedures to ensure that our business model is in line with the BC Code of Professional Conduct.
Clio has worked closely with law societies across Canada to build custom tools that comply with privacy standards, and many law firms across British Columbia use Clio as their practice management software.
Clio has modelled its information security program on ISO 27001 principles and controls. Clio offers audited information security that is (at minimum) compliant with ISO 27001 Information Security Management System compliance. ISO 27001 is a globally recognized standard, which ensures that the software provider can and will keep your systems and data safe from all manner of threats: external and internal, intentional and unintentional.
Clio enforces a set of administrative, physical, and technical controls such as office access policies, two-factor authentication for internal tools, criminal background checks for employees, regular security training, and more.
Clio is audited and certified each day by McAfee Secure to help guarantee that our products are not affected by malware, vulnerabilities, and other online threats.
Clio applies in-transit and at-rest encryption using industry best practices (such as HTTPS and TLS) to ensure that all client data is stored and transmitted securely. Clio’s web interfaces are also verified by DigiCert, a trusted certificate authority.
To ensure that your account data remains accessible at all times, Clio performs regular automatic backups and makes use of geo-redundancy for its infrastructure. You can also make use of their data escrow feature to automate local backups of your data.
Clio’s priority support team is available 24/5 (every weekday from Monday at 12:00 a.m. PST until Friday at 11:59 p.m. PST).
The quickest way to get help is to click on the (?) Help icon on the bottom right corner of the screen when logged into Clio. There are also numerous resources available online to guide users through Clio’s interface.
You can also contact The Law Portal Member Support Team via email at support@thelawportal.ca. We can usually respond promptly, and we guarantee a response within 24 hours from Monday to Friday. We will use our best efforts to respond during weekends and holidays if “Urgent” is included in the subject line.
If you’re in Vancouver, you can reach Clio’s support team at 604-210-2944, or toll-free from anywhere in North America at 1-888-858-2546.
This is up to lawyers and their clients and may be determined on a case-by-case basis. Lawyers must outline their terms in their General Terms of Service (GTS) and ensure that each client understands their obligations.
Generally speaking, the need to travel for most files is rare and most clients prefer to receive their 25% discount and pay for their lawyers’ travel expenses as required. Even after reimbursing remote lawyers for their travel expenses to attend mediation, arbitration, a conference, hearing, or trial, clients still save thousands of dollars with their 25% discount.
If a remote lawyer’s becomes highly litigious, we may recommend that the lawyer works with one of our local lawyers in the client’s area to handle frequent court appearances.