Legal
Service Terms and Refunds
How an engagement works, what you pay for, and what happens if it stops early.
This page summarizes how we work with clients. It does not replace your written agreement. If the two differ, your agreement governs.
Before you pay anything
- The eligibility check and our first review of your answers are free.
- You receive a written quote describing the research and records for your family line.
- Paid work begins only after you accept a written agreement. Nothing is charged before that.
What your agreement sets out
Every agreement states, in plain language:
- The scope of the research and which records we will try to obtain.
- The fee, how it is staged, and when each part is due.
- Whether registry and archive charges are included or billed at cost.
- What is refundable if the work stops at each stage, and how to cancel.
- What we need from you, and what happens if it isn't provided.
What we deliver
Our service is research. We deliver a lineage report, the records we were able to obtain, and an organized evidence file. We do not promise that the records will show a qualifying line, because that depends on what exists. If they don't, we tell you and the work stops.
The licensed representative
Advice on your eligibility and the preparation and filing of your application are provided by a licensed representative, under a separate written agreement between you and them. Their fees, their refund terms and their professional duties are set by that agreement and by the rules of their regulator, not by us.
Government and third-party fees
Government fees, such as the fee for a citizenship certificate or a passport, are set by the Government of Canada and paid to it. Registry and archive charges are set by the offices concerned. We cannot refund amounts already paid to a government office or registry.
Cancellation and refunds
You can stop an engagement at any time by writing to us. Your agreement sets out what is refundable at each stage. Statutory cancellation rights under the consumer protection law of your province apply in addition to anything written here or in your agreement.
No guarantee of outcome
Neither we nor a licensed representative can guarantee that a citizenship certificate will be issued, or when. That decision belongs to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Complaints
If something goes wrong, write to hello@maplelineage.ca and tell us what happened. We will look into it and reply. A complaint about a licensed representative's conduct can also be made to their regulator: the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants for a consultant, or the law society of their province for a lawyer or paralegal.