Legal research is a key component of any law practice and a powerful tool in the hands of the best lawyers. Many cases or appeals are won by out-researching the other side. Locating the most favourable case-law can make a dramatic difference not only in outcomes, but also to your reputation and revenue. In fact, proper due diligence and legal research can also result in better negotiations. In contrast, cutting corners often only ends up in increased costs and protracted litigation. Therefore, in all cases, it is imperative to conduct due diligence, hunt down all governing case law, and gain a nuanced understanding of the law.

Legal research is also important when handling non-litigious legal work. For instance, without the full insight provided through legal research, you may be caught off guard by hidden liabilities or problems that end up costing your client more money and time.

Unfortunately, the effectiveness of legal research can also make it elusive. After all, who really wants to spend hours attempting to uncover a “needle in the haystack” precedent, with so much other pressing work on their plate? Lawyers thrive on being busy with court appearances, client meetings, and phone calls. Therefore, when a tough issue presents itself, the time or inclination to give it the deep legal research it deserves may be difficult to find. This is especially so when it leaves you working into the night, taking you away from your clients and family.

Fortunately, a complicated legal question does not have to grind your practice to a halt. We’ve got you covered. Allow us to assist you in navigating the complex and ever-changing legal landscape. We will answer your toughest legal questions, without taking time away from your billable hours.

Our legal research service is designed to provide you with the valuable legal information you need, when you need it. We can conduct legal research for a specific purpose, such as to strengthen a case already proceeding to litigation, or for a broader goal, for example, to develop theories, specific causes of action, or defenses in respect of a case. Whether you need a background memo or need us to sift through a bunch of cases while you focus on the bigger picture, we have you covered.

We have experience working with every major legal research platform and have unique knowledge on how to identify relevant keywords to ensure the most effective legal research results. We also maintain access to hundreds of legal databases, not readily available to most lawyers, covering an extensive number of legal areas, subjects, and disciplines. We understand legal research like no one else in the field. Our legal research service covers statutes, case law and secondary sources relating to all aspects of Canadian federal and provincial law. We can also access legislation and case law for most common law jurisdictions. We assure you that whatever the issue, we can provide you with accurate and comprehensive legal research, giving your client a crucial, competitive edge.

We can present our legal research to you in the output format of your choice. For instance, we can prepare a fully researched memorandum of law for internal use or present our legal research in the format of a brief to be filed in court. We also offer a number of other formats. Learn more about these options on the “Legal Writing” page of this site.