How We Work

Please ensure you have read the following important information before heading into the Client Portal.

Thank you for choosing Dahlem Criminal Defence. We understand that this is a stressful and difficult time and we will do everything we can to make our representation of you as straightforward and simple as possible.

How to contact and communicate with your lawyer.

As criminal defence lawyers, we are often in court and not in the office. It can be difficult to get in touch with your lawyer and he may not have the ability to get back to you quickly. We know not being able to get hold of your lawyer is frustrating, so we try to make it easy for you.

Text Us – You can text your lawyer directly at (403) 879-8041. This is the fastest way to get in touch with your lawyer. In addition, we are happy to text you with updates and reminders.

Book a Phone Call – If you want to speak to your lawyer directly, please continue to the client portal and book a phone call. Please describe the nature of your call. This will speed things up as your lawyer will be able to research the answer before he calls you back at the scheduled time.

Call the Office – Your lawyer’s assistant will be able to help you with many inquiries. The assistant is also responsible for all financial matters, and will answer all billing and payment questions.

Your contact information must be current.

It is essential that you stay in touch with our office. If your phone number or address changes, please let us know of the change. If we cannot get in touch with you, we will have to withdraw as your lawyer.

What can you expect from the court process and Dahlem Criminal Defence lawyers?

The defence of a criminal charge is a slow process. There are three large bureaucracies that we have to deal with: the prosecutors, the courts, and the police. It takes time for things to happen simply because of that. There is only so much that we can do to make the process move faster.  It takes time to get answers from prosecutors. It takes time for the police to do something. The justice system is just that, a system.

We will keep you advised of court appearances by text. We will also let you know by text when we receive materials from the Crown, such as disclosure and settlement proposals. Every client can get documents sent to them electronically on our secure server. If you would like your information another way, we are happy to do that as well.

You are the only one who makes all the big decisions. It is the role of our lawyers to provide legal advice and do all the legal work that you instruct us to do. You will be advised of your various options on trial versus resolution, or any of the many possible outcomes, and we will assist you in making your decision.

Additional resources for clients

We have a series of videos and information pages for frequently asked questions. We encourage you to review these if you have questions about the court system and process. In addition, we are always happy to answer any questions you may have by text or by pre-booked phone call.

Dahlem Criminal Defence can assist you with obtaining counselling and other litigation support services.  Being in involved in litigation of any kind, and especially criminal litigation as an accused person, is unbelievably stressful. It might feel like your life is on hold or that the doubt for the future has you frozen. We can help you find the support you need, just ask us.

Fees

These are governed by the retainer agreement letter that you have signed. While we are happy to have flexible arrangements and payment plans, we expect you to stick with those plans.

If your circumstances change and the payment plan becomes difficult, please contact us. Other arrangements can be made. Not staying with the fee schedule will often cause problems with your representation.