A common misconception is that a lawyer can better help you navigate the application process for a Canadian pardon. This is simply not true and may, in many cases, even slow your application for a pardon down.
A law degree for a pardon is simply not needed since the application process is designed to be done on the applicants own initiative. However, like many government processes the procedures are not straight forward. On the contrary, they are constantly changing so the requirements for a pardon one year may not be the same the following year. It is therefore very important to know what you are doing and to review the application procedures thoroughly before getting started.
The other problem with hiring a lawyer is that lawyers tend to be very expensive. They will charge hourly rates to prepare an application that they are most likely unfamiliar with. After all, a lawyer who spends his/her days preparing pardon applications is not actually practicing law.
The alternative to preparing your pardon application on your own and to hiring a lawyer to do it is to hire a private services agency like the National Pardon Centre.
The challenge with this is finding a reliable provider. We pride ourselves on offering an excellent service at a competitive price but we are not the only ones offering this service so it may be tough to know who to trust.
Bear in mind that in the past few years almost 50% of pardon services providers have gone out of business. So you need to do your research and make sure that you pick a well established company that is not going to take your money and vanish.
If you are thinking of applying for a pardon please consider giving us a call. Or if you in the Montreal or Toronto area we strongly suggest coming to our office for a free consultation. Since it is so important to make sure you are hiring a reputable firm, being able to come see us in person will go a long way to putting your mind at east.
If you are looking for a reliable way to have your pardon application prepared for you and you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a please give us a call.
Michael Ashby
514.842.2411 x 227
mashby@nationalpardon.org