Claims under The Children’s Special Allowance class action settlement opened on January 6. Under this settlement agreement, any child who was in care in Manitoba between January 1, 2005 and March 31, 2019 may be entitled to receive a monetary settlement.
Exchange Solutions Inc. has been engaged as a Claims Administrator to provide free assistance to Class Members who require assistance making a claim pursuant to the settlement agreement. Their contact details can be found here.
To comply with the lawyer’s duties of integrity and candour under the Code of Professional Conduct, if a client seeks to retain a lawyer to assist them in making a claim under The Children’s Special Allowance class action settlement, the lawyer must advise them of the following:
- Legal counsel is not required as the process is straight forward and there are detailed instructions available on the Children’s Special Allowance Settlement website.
- If the client does require assistance, it is available at no cost through the Claims Administrator, Exchange Solutions Inc. and provide the client with contact information for the Claims Administrator.
- If after being advised of the availability of free assistance, a client indicates they would still like to retain a lawyer to assist them, the lawyer must charge a fair and reasonable fee commensurate with the primarily administrative nature of the service provided.
If you have questions, you may contact our Practice, Ethics and Equity Advisor, Noelia Bernardo at 204-926-2019 or practiceadvisor@lawsociety.mb.ca.
