What we will do after you contact us - For members of the public 

The IPC will decide whether or not to accept you as a client by considering:

• Whether you have suffered financial loss and/or other damages due to making an investment, purchasing a financial product or engaging in a financial service that are not due to market forces.
• The amount of the loss relative to your overall financial circumstances.
•  Priority will be given to the elderly, newcomers and other individuals who are vulnerable due to their circumstances.
  
  

After receiving the e-form, a representative from the IPC will contact you. If we might be able to provide you with assistance, we will request an in-person or video call meeting with you. You will be requested to bring or provide us with any documents you have that support your concerns or claims. After the meeting, the IPC will review your concerns and let you know whether we can provide you with legal services. If the IPC is able to provide you with legal services, you will be asked to sign a retainer agreement outlining what the IPC will help you with.

The IPC may be able to assist you by:

• Explaining options on how to deal with your issues or proceed with a complaint;
• Writing a complaint letter on your behalf to the company or the regulator; and/or
• Representing you in a legal proceeding.

What we will do after you contact us - For community partners

Public legal education is a key aspect of our mandate. We work on projects to develop and deliver public legal education to members of vulnerable communities who are at risk of suffering harm, or may have suffered harm, relating to their investments.

If you are a community or public interest organization working with the elderly, newcomers to Canada or members of vulnerable communities and are interested in hosting a virtual or in-person workshop or seminar on an investor protection topic presented by the IPC, we would like to hear from you. We also welcome the opportunity to collaborate on projects to promote investor protection, such as participating on research or policy projects.