Client Info · Edmonton, AB
Start Your File: New Client Intake, Step by Step
There is no online form to fill in. Tell us about your matter by phone, by email, or in person at our Edmonton office, and we will run a conflicts check, confirm the fit, and book your consultation.
Every new matter at Bhalla Law Offices begins with intake: a short, structured conversation that tells us who you are, what you are facing, and whether our firm is the right fit. Our website does not host an online form, and that is deliberate. Sensitive details belong in a channel we control, so we gather your information by telephone, by email, or in person at our Edmonton office. Intake usually takes fifteen to twenty minutes and costs nothing to complete.
Good intake protects both sides. It lets us run a conflicts check before you share confidential facts, confirm that the matter falls inside our practice areas, and flag any deadline that needs immediate attention, such as a court date, a bail condition, or a limitation period under the Alberta Limitations Act. It also lets you arrive at your consultation with the right documents in hand, so the meeting is spent on strategy rather than on collecting basic facts we could have gathered in advance.
How intake works when there is no online form
Intake is a sequence, not a single event. Each stage exists for a reason, and most people move through all of them within a few business days.
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Step 1: Make first contact
Call the office during business hours or send a short email describing the type of matter, the city or court involved, and any upcoming dates. Two or three sentences are enough at this stage.
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Step 2: Give us basic identifying details
A staff member records your full legal name, contact information, and the names of every other party involved. We need opposing parties by name before anyone at the firm discusses the substance of your matter.
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Step 3: We run a conflicts check
Your names are checked against our client and matter records. If a conflict of interest exists, we tell you promptly and, where appropriate, suggest other Edmonton counsel who may be able to assist.
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Step 4: Book the consultation
Once the file is clear, we schedule an in-person, telephone, or video consultation and send a confirmation with the date, the expected length, and the documents worth bringing.
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Step 5: Send or bring your documents
You can email documents ahead of the meeting, drop off copies at the office, or simply bring the originals with you. Nothing needs to be uploaded through this website.
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Step 6: Decide whether to retain
After the consultation you decide whether to proceed. If you retain us, we prepare a written retainer agreement setting out the scope of the work and the financial arrangements.
What information we collect and why
We ask for the minimum necessary to advise you properly and to satisfy our professional obligations. Every field has a purpose, and you are entitled to ask why any particular detail is needed.
- Full legal name, any former or alternate names, date of birth, and current mailing address.
- Telephone, email, and your preferred method of contact, including whether it is safe to leave a message.
- The names of all other parties: a spouse or former partner, a co-accused, an employer, an insurer, or an opposing business.
- A plain summary of what happened, in your own words, with approximate dates.
- Any court file number, docket, ticket, claim number, or reference number you already have.
- Deadlines that are already fixed: a court appearance, a filing date, a bail or release condition, or an insurer response date.
- Whether another lawyer has acted on the matter, and whether that retainer has ended.
- Whether you have applied to Legal Aid Alberta or expect to.
Three ways to send us your information
By telephone
The fastest route, especially where a court date is close. A staff member records the intake details while you speak and can usually confirm a consultation slot in the same call.
By email
Useful when you already have documents in digital form. Attach scans or clear photographs, keep the message factual, and avoid sending anything you would not want read by someone else on your device.
In person at the office
Bring your papers to the Edmonton office and we will copy what we need and return the originals to you. This suits clients with older files, thick binders, or documents in another language.
By mail or courier
Occasionally the best option for bulky material or certified copies. Send copies rather than originals wherever possible, and tell us by phone that a package is on its way.
Conflicts of interest and why we ask about the other side
A conflict of interest arises when acting for you could compromise our duty of loyalty to a current or former client, or when our own interests could interfere with your representation. The Law Society of Alberta Code of Conduct requires every firm to maintain a reliable system for identifying these situations before a retainer begins.
This is why the intake call asks for names before it asks for details. If we already act for the person on the other side of your matter, we must decline the file, and it is far better to learn that in a two minute conversation than after you have described your case in confidence.
Before you describe your case in detail
Give us the names first. Anything you tell us during intake is treated as confidential even if we never open a file for you, but a clean conflicts check protects you and keeps our advice usable.
Identification and verification requirements
Law Society of Alberta rules require lawyers to identify every client and, for most matters involving the receipt, payment, or transfer of funds, to verify that identity using reliable and independent source documents. These rules exist to reduce the risk that legal services are used to move the proceeds of crime.
- Bring one piece of valid, unexpired government photo identification, such as an Alberta driver licence, an Alberta identification card, or a passport.
- Organizations and corporations should bring incorporation or registration records and the names of directors and signing authorities.
- If you are acting under a power of attorney, as a personal representative, or as a litigation representative, bring the document that gives you that authority.
- Where a matter is handled remotely, verification can often be completed using an approved method that does not require you to attend in person.
- Tell us early if you have no photo identification. There are alternatives, and it is a solvable problem, not a reason to stay away.
What happens after we have your details
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Acknowledgement
You receive a confirmation by phone or email, normally within one business day, telling you that the intake information arrived and whether anything is missing.
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Preliminary review
A lawyer reviews the summary and the documents to identify urgent issues, obvious limitation or filing deadlines, and the questions worth prioritising at the consultation.
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The consultation
We discuss the facts, the realistic options, the likely process in the relevant Alberta court or tribunal, and the range of cost associated with each route.
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Retainer agreement
If you decide to proceed, we send a written retainer agreement that defines the scope of work, the fee arrangement, and the amount to be held in trust before work begins.
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File opening
Once the signed agreement and the trust deposit are received, the file is opened, a lawyer and an assistant are assigned, and you are given secure access to share and receive documents.
Frequently asked questions
We have chosen not to collect sensitive legal details through a public web form. Intake information often includes health records, allegations, financial data, and the names of children, and we prefer to receive it through channels we control directly. Telephone, email, and in person intake also let us ask follow up questions immediately, which usually produces a better picture of the matter in less time.
No. A solicitor and client relationship begins only when we have completed a conflicts check, agreed to act, and confirmed the arrangement in a written retainer. Until that happens, no one at the firm is acting for you and no deadline is being protected on your behalf. Information you share during intake is still treated as confidential even if we do not open a file.
Say so in your first sentence, whether you call or write. Urgent matters such as an imminent appearance in the Alberta Court of Justice, a bail variation, or an expiring limitation period are triaged ahead of general enquiries. Even if we cannot take the file, we can usually tell you what needs to happen before that date and where else to turn quickly.
Keep it short. The type of matter, the location and court involved, the names of the other parties, and any fixed dates are enough for us to run a conflicts check and decide the next step. Detailed narratives, medical records, and full document sets are better shared after we confirm that we are able to act.
A family member, translator, or support worker can help with the practical steps, and we welcome that. However, we take instructions only from the client, so at some point we need to speak with you directly and confirm that you understand and agree with what is being requested. If capacity or authority is an issue, tell us early so it can be addressed properly.
Related pages
The information on this page is general in nature and is not legal advice. Every matter depends on its own facts. Contact Bhalla Law Offices to discuss your situation with a lawyer licensed in Alberta.