Terms of Use

1. No Paralegal-Client Relationship

Use of this Site, including submission of a contact or inquiry form, sending an email, or any other communication through or in connection with this Site, does not create a paralegal-client relationship between you and Stephanie Colangelo. A paralegal-client relationship is established only through the execution of a written retainer agreement signed by both parties.

Until a retainer agreement has been signed, Stephanie Colangelo is under no obligation to keep confidential any information you provide through this Site, and nothing you communicate will attract solicitor-client privilege. Do not send confidential or time-sensitive information through this Site unless and until a retainer agreement is in place.

2. Not Legal Advice

The information published on this Site — including articles, blog and newsletter posts, service descriptions, FAQs, summaries of legislation, and any other content — is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, legal opinion, or any other form of professional advice, and it must not be relied upon as such.

The law is fact-specific. Information that is accurate in one set of circumstances may not apply to yours. You should always consult a licensed lawyer or paralegal about your specific situation before taking any legal action or making any decisions with legal consequences.

3. Scope of Paralegal Practice

Stephanie Colangelo is a paralegal licensed by the Law Society of Ontario (“LSO”) and is authorized to practise law in Ontario within the scope permitted to paralegals under the Law Society Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.8, and By-Law 4. This includes representation in Provincial Offences Act proceedings, summary conviction matters in the Ontario Court of Justice, residential matters before the Landlord and Tenant Board, and other matters authorized by the LSO.

As an LSO licensee, Stephanie Colangelo is also a Commissioner for Taking Affidavits and a Notary Public for the Province of Ontario, and may notarize and commission documents within Ontario.

Stephanie Colangelo does not practise outside the authorized scope of paralegal practice and does not hold herself out as a lawyer. References to “legal services” on this Site refer to services within the authorized paralegal scope. If your matter falls outside paralegal scope, you will be told so and may be referred to a licensed lawyer.

4. No Guarantee of Results

Nothing on this Site constitutes a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of any particular outcome in any legal matter. Prior results described or referenced on this Site do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any future matter. Every legal matter is unique and depends on its specific facts, the applicable law, the jurisdiction, and the determination of the decision-maker.

5. Accuracy and Currency of Information

We make reasonable efforts to ensure that the information on this Site is accurate, current, and complete at the time of publication. However, the law changes frequently. Legislation is amended, regulations are updated, and tribunal and court decisions alter established principles. We do not warrant that the information on this Site is accurate, complete, or current at the time you access it.

You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this Site without first obtaining independent legal advice that accounts for your specific circumstances and the current state of the law.

6. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Stephanie Colangelo shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or harm of any kind — including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages — arising from or related to your use of, or inability to use, this Site or any content on it, regardless of whether such liability arises in contract, tort, negligence, or otherwise.

This limitation applies even if Stephanie Colangelo has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages; in such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the greatest extent permitted by law.

7. Confidentiality of Communications

As noted above, communications through this Site before the establishment of a retainer agreement do not attract solicitor-client privilege and are not treated as confidential. If you submit a contact or inquiry form or send an email, the information you provide may be reviewed by Stephanie Colangelo and any relevant support staff for the purpose of evaluating whether to accept a retainer.

Once a retainer agreement is in place, all communications are subject to the confidentiality obligations imposed on paralegals by the Paralegal Rules of Conduct and the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Law Society of Ontario.

8. Intellectual Property

All content on this Site — including but not limited to text, images, graphics, logos, page layouts, and design — is the property of Stephanie Colangelo or is used with permission, and is protected by applicable Canadian copyright and intellectual property laws.

You may access and view the content on this Site for your personal, non-commercial use only. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, transmit, republish, or otherwise use any content from this Site without the prior written consent of Stephanie Colangelo.

9. Third-Party Links

This Site may contain links to third-party websites. These links are provided for convenience only. We do not control, endorse, or accept responsibility for the content, privacy practices, or terms of any third-party websites. Accessing any linked website is at your own risk.

10. Privacy

Personal information you submit through this Site — for example, your name, email address, phone number, and the description of your matter — is collected for the sole purpose of responding to your inquiry and, if a retainer is signed, providing legal services to you. We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We handle personal information in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy law.

11. Governing Law

These Terms of Use are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising from your use of this Site shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ontario.

12. Amendments

We reserve the right to amend these Terms at any time without prior notice. Updated Terms will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. Your continued use of the Site after any amendment constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

13. Contact

Questions or concerns about these Terms may be directed to:

Stephanie Colangelo, Licensed Paralegal
Port Colborne, Niagara Region, Ontario
[email protected]
(905) 736-4667