Services Terms & Conditions — Furthermore Law

Thank you for choosing to work with Furthermore Law Corporation (“the Firm,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). Our goal is to provide high-quality legal services in an efficient and cost-effective manner. To help manage expectations, this document outlines the nature of our services and the terms that govern our relationship with you.

These Services Terms and Conditions (the “Terms”) are incorporated by reference into, and form part of, each Legal Services Agreement (“LSA”) we enter into with a client. They also govern your access to and use of our website and any information or materials made available through it. By engaging us under an LSA, or by accessing or using our website, you agree to these Terms. If your LSA contains terms that conflict with these Terms, the terms of your LSA will govern for that engagement.

1Application of These Terms

Clients. If you have entered into an LSA with us, these Terms apply to that engagement and to the legal services we provide to you (the “Services”), as described in Sections 2 through 7 and Section 9.

Website visitors. If you are visiting our website or communicating with us before any LSA is signed, the website and pre-engagement provisions in Section 8 apply to you. Accessing our website or contacting us does not, by itself, create a solicitor-client relationship or oblige us to act for you.

Some provisions — including those relating to confidentiality, privacy, technology, intellectual property, and governing law — apply to both clients and website visitors as the context requires.

2Limited Scope Retainer (The Services)

We work under a Limited Scope Retainer. This means our legal representation is limited to the specific tasks and services we explicitly agree to provide in a separate written LSA or other written consent.

What a Limited Scope Retainer means

Definition of “Services.” When we refer to the “Services” in these Terms, we mean only those specific legal tasks we have agreed to provide to you.
Specific tasks only. Our role is confined to the Services we have agreed to perform. We are responsible only for the work specifically outlined in your LSA.
Your responsibility. You remain responsible for all legal matters, steps, or issues that are not included in the agreed-upon Services.
Other counsel. You remain free to engage other counsel, and are encouraged to do so for matters outside the scope of the Services.
Full representation. If you need a lawyer to represent you in all aspects of your matter, you must discuss this with us, and we must agree to and document that full representation in a separate, comprehensive LSA. If your LSA does not explicitly state otherwise, our retainer is limited in scope.

Where we commit to a block of hours within the Services

Notwithstanding the title “General Counsel,” our duty of care and professional responsibility apply only to the legal work performed during the hours billed within the monthly commitment under the Limited Scope Retainer described above.

Monthly fees are commitment fees. Unused hours from the monthly commitment do not roll over to the subsequent month.
Any Services you request that exceed the monthly commitment will be billed separately at our hourly rate and will require your express pre-approval.

3Joint Representation

If you ask us to represent more than one person or entity in the same matter, this is a joint representation. We can only act for joint clients if their interests are not in conflict. If we agree to a joint representation, the following rules apply:

Undivided loyalty. We owe each of you a duty of undivided loyalty and must act in each of your best interests equally. If we cannot maintain this loyalty, we must withdraw from representing all of you.
No confidentiality between you. Any information one of you provides to us regarding the Services cannot be kept confidential from the other joint client(s). We must share all relevant information with everyone we jointly represent.
If a conflict arises. If an actual conflict or contentious issue arises between you, or if we receive information that places us in a conflict, we will immediately stop acting for all of you unless the conflict is promptly resolved. If the conflict is not resolved, we will cease to represent everyone jointly. If, at that time, you all agree in writing that we may continue to represent one of you, we may do so, and the other client(s) will be referred to outside counsel. If you cannot agree, we will cease to act for everyone.
Independent Legal Advice (ILA). We strongly recommend that each person we are asked to represent jointly obtain Independent Legal Advice on the implications of a joint retainer before signing the LSA.

4Technology, Privacy, and Records

Technology use

You consent to our use of cloud-based software to provide legal services efficiently. This includes using secure local and cloud-based services for storing, managing, and transmitting your information, including confidential documents and communications. These third-party services may be located outside of Canada.

Use of artificial intelligence tools

You consent to our use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools, including large language model (“LLM”) platforms, to support the delivery of the Services. This may include tasks such as legal research, drafting, summarizing, and analyzing documents. Where we use AI tools, the following apply:

Confidentiality and privilege preserved. We use AI tools only in a manner consistent with our duties of confidentiality and solicitor-client privilege under the Law Society of British Columbia Rules. We use only enterprise-grade platforms that provide appropriate confidentiality and security controls and that, where available, do not use our inputs to train their models.
Our professional judgment governs. All AI-assisted work product is reviewed, verified, and finalized by a lawyer before delivery. We remain solely responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and professional quality of all work product delivered to you. You should not rely on any AI-generated output that has not been incorporated into a deliverable we have expressly approved.
Your right to opt out. If you prefer that we not use AI tools in connection with your matter, you may notify us in writing and we will accommodate that preference, which may affect the fees and timelines applicable to the Services.

Records retention

We maintain a digital file system to reduce paper usage. Unless you specifically request otherwise in writing when opening your file, we will keep digital copies of records and dispose of original physical documents when they are no longer required. If you request that we maintain physical paper records, additional fees and disbursements may apply. We are required to retain your file records for a certain period after your file closes, in accordance with Law Society rules.

Privacy and confidentiality

We are bound by the Law Society of British Columbia Rules to protect your confidential information and by the principles of solicitor-client privilege. This duty of confidentiality and solicitor-client privilege survives the end of our professional relationship, continuing indefinitely. Only you, the client, can waive this privilege.

You consent to our collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information (as defined in the Personal Information Protection Act (British Columbia)) as reasonably necessary to provide the Services, protect your interests, and comply with our professional and legal obligations. This may include disclosing information to our agents, other professional advisors, necessary government authorities, or opposing counsel where authorized.

5Fees, Billing, and Payment

Fees

Unless a flat fee is agreed upon in your LSA, our fees are based on the hourly rates provided to you.

Billing increments. We bill our time in six-minute increments, logged in a cloud-based matter management platform.
Team members. You authorize us to engage other legal professionals (such as lawyers, articled students, and paralegals) and staff to work on your file. We will notify you in advance if the hourly rate of any of these individuals is higher than the rate you were quoted for support services.

Disbursements and office charges

You are responsible for all expenses (“disbursements”) incurred on your behalf.

Third-party costs. This includes third-party bills (for example, government filing fees, court fees, courier charges, and expert costs). We may advance reasonable third-party costs on your behalf, but you remain ultimately responsible for their payment.
Office charges. You are also responsible for standard out-of-pocket office charges (for example, in-house photocopying and scanning) allocated to your file. We do not charge for items like long-distance calls, and we do not add “overhead” amounts to our invoices.
Taxes. All applicable taxes (for example, GST/HST) on fees, disbursements, and office charges will be added to your invoice.

Invoicing and payment

Invoicing frequency. We typically send invoices monthly, upon completion of the Services, or as otherwise appropriate.
Payment due. Payment for invoices is due upon receipt.
Interest. Any outstanding balance unpaid after 30 days will be subject to interest at a rate of 12% per year (calculated annually) from the invoice date until paid.

Retainers

We do not accept retainer fees and do not operate a trust account. All fees for Services are invoiced to you after completion.

No cash policy

We do not accept payment in cash for fees or retainers. All payments must be made by electronic funds transfer, Interac, or credit card.

6Client Identification and Verification

We are legally required to fulfill client identification and verification obligations under applicable laws and Law Society Rules, including the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act.

You agree to provide us with all requested information and verification promptly.
We may suspend or terminate our representation if we do not receive satisfactory identification and verification in a timely manner.

7Termination of Services

Your right to terminate

You may terminate our services at any time by providing us with written notice.

Our right to terminate (withdrawal)

Subject to our professional obligations, we may terminate our services for good reasons, which include, but are not limited to:

your failure to cooperate with reasonable requests;
a serious loss of confidence between us;
your failure to provide satisfactory identification materials;
the continuation of our representation becoming unethical or impractical; or
our accounts not being paid when rendered or requested.

Final payment

If the Services are terminated by either party, you are responsible for paying all outstanding fees, disbursements, and applicable taxes incurred up to the time we stop acting on your behalf.

8Website Use and Visitors

This section governs your access to and use of our website and any content made available through it, whether or not you are a client.

No legal advice

Information on our website is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It may not reflect the most current legal developments and may not apply to your particular circumstances. You should not act, or refrain from acting, on the basis of website content without obtaining legal advice from a qualified lawyer about your specific situation.

No solicitor-client relationship

Accessing our website, reviewing its content, submitting a contact or intake form, or sending us an email does not create a solicitor-client relationship. A solicitor-client relationship is formed only when we and you have signed an LSA (or otherwise confirmed our engagement in writing) and we have completed our conflict-of-interest and client identification checks.

Unsolicited and confidential information

Please do not send us confidential or sensitive information through our website, contact forms, or email until we have confirmed in writing that we are able to act for you. Information you send before an engagement is confirmed may not be treated as confidential or privileged and may not preclude us from acting for another party with adverse interests.

Intellectual property

Unless otherwise indicated, all content on our website — including text, graphics, logos, and the “Furthermore Law” name and marks — is owned by or licensed to the Firm and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may view and print content for your own personal, non-commercial reference. You may not reproduce, republish, distribute, or create derivative works from website content without our prior written consent.

Third-party links and use at your own risk

Our website may contain links to third-party websites that we do not control and are not responsible for. We provide our website on an “as is” and “as available” basis and do not warrant that it will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of, or reliance on, our website or its content.

9General Terms

Tax advice

We do not provide tax advice. You should obtain advice from a qualified tax professional (for example, an accountant or qualified tax lawyer) regarding the tax consequences of your matter.

Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms, each LSA, and your use of our website are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. Each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of British Columbia for the resolution of any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms, any LSA, or your use of our website.

Governing version

This document is provided in two versions: the Lawyer Version (this Part A, in English) and the Frenglish Version (Part B). The Lawyer Version is the only operative, binding version. In the event of any inconsistency, ambiguity, or difference of meaning between the Lawyer Version and the Frenglish Version, the Lawyer Version governs in all respects. The Frenglish Version is provided for Canadian whimsy only and has no legal effect.

Amendment and modification

These Terms are subject to any additional terms in your LSA. We may also change these Terms by posting an updated version on our website or by providing you with written notice. You will be deemed to agree to any change unless you notify us in writing of your objection within 10 business days of receiving notice (or, for website visitors, within 10 business days of the updated Terms being posted) and before we provide further services in reliance on that change.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary, or severed, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

Questions

If you have any questions about these Terms, please ask. We are happy to clarify any provision before you engage us or rely on our website.

Furthermore Law Corporation · Vancouver, British Columbia · furthermore.law

Avertissement / Disclaimer: Cette version est fournie pour le plaisir — this version is for fun. Elle n'a aucun effet juridique, it has no legal effect, and the Lawyer Version governs in case of any inconsistency.

Bonjour, hello, et bienvenue chez Furthermore Law Corporation (« le Cabinet », “the Firm,” « nous », “us”). Notre objectif, our goal, c'est de vous offrir des services juridiques de grande qualité — high-quality legal services — de façon efficace and cost-effective.

Pour bien gérer les attentes, to manage expectations, ce document explique la nature de nos services and the terms that will govern our relationship. Ces conditions de service — these Services Terms and Conditions (les « Conditions ») — sont incorporées par renvoi dans chaque entente de services juridiques, each Legal Services Agreement (« LSA »). Elles régissent aussi votre utilisation de notre site web, your use of our website. En nous engageant, or by using our website, vous acceptez ces Conditions. Pis là, just so we are clear: en cas de divergence, in the event of any inconsistency, c'est la version anglaise — the Lawyer Version — qui l'emporte. Cette version Frenglish, this one right here, c'est pour le plaisir, pure Canadian whimsy, sans effet juridique.

1Application de ces conditions / Application of These Terms

Pour les clients — for clients. Si vous avez signé un LSA, these Terms apply to your engagement and to the legal services we provide (les « Services »).

Pour les visiteurs du site — for website visitors. Naviguer sur notre site ou nous écrire un courriel ne crée pas — does not, by itself, create — une relation avocat-client, point à la ligne.

Certaines clauses — confidentialité, vie privée, technologie, propriété intellectuelle, droit applicable — s'appliquent aux deux, to both clients and visitors, selon le contexte, as the context requires.

2Mandat à portée limitée / Limited Scope Retainer

On travaille avec un mandat à portée limitée — a Limited Scope Retainer. Ça veut dire que notre représentation se limite aux tâches précises qu'on a acceptées par écrit, the specific tasks we explicitly agree to, dans votre LSA.

Les « Services ». Quand on dit « Services », we mean only the specific legal tasks we agreed to do for you.
Tâches précises seulement — specific tasks only. On est responsable uniquement du travail décrit dans votre LSA, the work outlined in your LSA.
Votre responsabilité — your responsibility. Vous demeurez responsable de tout ce qui n'est pas inclus, everything not included in the agreed-upon Services.
Autre avocat — other counsel. Vous êtes libre d'engager un autre avocat, and we encourage you to do so, pour les questions hors mandat.
Représentation complète — full representation. Si vous voulez une représentation complète, you must discuss it with us, pis on doit la documenter dans un LSA séparé. Autrement, otherwise, le mandat reste limité.

Malgré le titre « General Counsel », notwithstanding the title, notre devoir de diligence s'applique seulement aux heures facturées dans l'engagement mensuel, the hours billed within the monthly commitment. Les heures non utilisées ne se reportent pas — do not roll over — au mois suivant. Tout dépassement, any overage, est facturé à part avec votre pré-approbation.

3Représentation conjointe / Joint Representation

Si vous nous demandez de représenter plus qu'une personne — more than one person or entity — dans le même dossier, c'est une représentation conjointe, a joint representation. On peut le faire seulement si vos intérêts ne sont pas en conflit, only if your interests are not in conflict.

Loyauté absolue — undivided loyalty. On doit agir équitablement pour chacun, in each of your best interests equally, sinon on doit se retirer.
Pas de secret entre vous — no confidentiality between you. L'information fournie par l'un doit être partagée avec les autres, shared with everyone we jointly represent.
S'il y a conflit — if a conflict arises. On arrête d'agir pour tout le monde, we stop acting for all of you, à moins que le conflit se règle vite.
Avis juridique indépendant — Independent Legal Advice (ILA). On recommande fortement, we strongly recommend, que chacun obtienne un ILA avant de signer.

4Technologie, vie privée et dossiers / Technology, Privacy, and Records

Vous consentez à notre utilisation de logiciels infonuagiques — cloud-based software — pour travailler efficacement. Ces services tiers peuvent se trouver à l'extérieur du Canada, outside of Canada.

Pour l'intelligence artificielle, for AI tools: on utilise seulement des plateformes de calibre entreprise, enterprise-grade platforms, qui respectent le secret professionnel and solicitor-client privilege, et qui n'entraînent pas leurs modèles avec nos données, that do not train on our inputs. Un avocat révise tout — a lawyer reviews everything — avant la livraison. Pis si vous préférez qu'on n'utilise pas l'IA, just tell us in writing, and we will accommodate that.

Côté dossiers, for records: on garde tout en format numérique, digital records, pour sauver du papier. On est lié par les règles du Barreau de la Colombie-Britannique — the Law Society of British Columbia — pis par le secret professionnel, which survives indefinitely. Seul vous, only you, pouvez y renoncer. On respecte aussi la loi sur la protection des renseignements personnels, the Personal Information Protection Act of B.C.

5Honoraires, facturation et paiement / Fees, Billing, and Payment

Sauf entente de forfait — unless a flat fee — nos honoraires sont basés sur nos taux horaires, our hourly rates. On facture en tranches de six minutes, six-minute increments.

Les débours et frais de bureau sont à votre charge — disbursements and office charges are your responsibility.
Les taxes (TPS/TVH), all applicable taxes (GST/HST), s'ajoutent à votre facture.
Paiement dû à réception — payment due upon receipt. Intérêt de 12 % par année après 30 jours, 12% per year after 30 days.
Pas de comptant — no cash, s'il vous plaît. Virement, Interac, ou carte de crédit, please.

On n'accepte pas d'acompte et on n'a pas de compte en fiducie — no retainers, no trust account. Tout est facturé après coup, invoiced after completion.

6Identification du client / Client Identification and Verification

La loi nous oblige à vérifier votre identité — we are legally required to verify your identity — sous la Loi sur le recyclage des produits de la criminalité (Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act) et les règles du Barreau. Fournissez les documents rapidement, promptly, sinon on peut suspendre ou mettre fin au mandat.

7Fin des services / Termination of Services

Vous pouvez mettre fin à nos services en tout temps — at any time — par écrit, in writing. De notre côté, for our part, on peut se retirer pour de bonnes raisons: non-coopération, perte de confiance, ou comptes impayés, unpaid accounts, entre autres.

À la fin, upon termination, vous payez tous les honoraires, débours et taxes en souffrance, all outstanding fees, disbursements, and taxes, jusqu'à la date où on cesse d'agir.

8Utilisation du site web / Website Use and Visitors

Le contenu de notre site, our website content, c'est de l'information générale — general information only — pas un avis juridique, not legal advice. Naviguer ou nous écrire ne crée pas de relation avocat-client, no solicitor-client relationship.

S'il vous plaît, please: ne nous envoyez pas d'information confidentielle, do not send confidential information, avant qu'on confirme par écrit qu'on peut agir pour vous. Le contenu est fourni « tel quel », on an “as is” basis, à vos propres risques, at your own risk. La marque « Furthermore Law » nous appartient, our marks belong to us.

9Dispositions générales / General Terms

On ne donne pas de conseils fiscaux — no tax advice. Consultez un comptable ou un fiscaliste, a qualified tax professional. Droit applicable: la Colombie-Britannique, British Columbia, et les tribunaux de la C.-B. ont compétence exclusive, exclusive jurisdiction. On peut modifier ces Conditions, we may amend these Terms; vous êtes réputé accepter, you will be deemed to agree, sauf objection écrite dans les 10 jours ouvrables, unless you object in writing within 10 business days.

Et encore une fois, once more for the record: en cas de divergence entre cette version Frenglish et la version anglaise officielle — the Lawyer Version — c'est la Lawyer Version qui gouverne, the Lawyer Version governs, en tout, in all respects. Cette version-ci, this one, n'a aucun effet juridique; c'est purement pour le plaisir canadien, pure Canadian whimsy. Merci. Thank you. D'un océan à l'autre.

Furthermore Law Corporation · Vancouver, British Columbia · furthermore.law