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Sage Legal Solutions: Trusted legal partner in St. Catharines for Human Rights, Litigation, Small Claims, Employment matters. Sound advice, and timely resolutions. Schedule a consultation today. Home: Welcome SMALL CLAIMS AND LITIGATION LAWYERS Serving St. Catharines and Ontario To give sage advice means to give sound, sensible, and intelligent advice. From this, Sage Legal Solutions was founded to serve clients in a timely, service-oriented, and cost-effective manner. What Clients Say "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help in recovering our money. There are no words to describe our gratitude for everything that you’ve done for us."

St. Catharines and Welland Employment Lawyers St. Catharines and Welland Employment assistance and legal advice Have an Employment matter in St. Catharines, Welland, or Niagara Region? Not sure what to do and need help? Our firm has lawyers who can assist on Employment matters, with our rate being $300+HST/hr (for work completed by our Lawyers). Employment Scope You may find that our Lawyers can be useful in your matters pertaining to: wrongful termination; wrongful dismissal; termination packages; discrimination; human rights complaints; human rights tribunal of Ontario; Where Do I Begin? Some of the most important things to remember are: usually, you have to commence a claim within a limited period of time since the incident. There are various Rules regarding timelines that all parties must adhere to, otherwise you risk the Court making orders against you, including orders to pay the other side costs (ex. legal costs). You may wish to consult a lawyer to decide whether you can represent yourself or prefer to hire a representative. Call us for a free 15- minute consultation. Ontario-Wide Assistance Employment Litigation matters can proceed virtually (via Zoom or videoconferencing). We can work on your matter in Ontario, wherever you are. If travel is required for the matter, we charge reasonable travel fees. COURT LOCATIONS NEAR US: Welland Courthouse 102 East Main Street Welland, Ontario L3B 3W6 St. Catharines Courthouse 59 Church Street St. Catharines, Ontario L2R 7N8 Hamilton Courthouse 55 Main St. W. Hamilton, Ontario L8P 1H4 Hamilton (John Sopinka) Courthouse 45 Main St. E. Hamilton, Ontario L8N 2B7 Let’s Work Together Get in touch so we can start working together. Leave your email or phone number and we will get back to you. First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting!

Trusted legal partner in St. Catharines Ontario for Human Rights, Civil Litigation, and more. Read About our team here. Meet the Team Sage Legal Solutions is supported by a talented team of lawyers, paralegals, students, and clerks. Read on to learn more. NATALIE POSALA Lawyer Languages: English, Polish As the founding lawyer of Sage Legal Solutions, Natalie works in Civil disputes; Civil litigation; Small Claims court; Landlord and Tenant matters; Human rights; Employment law. Natalie previously assisted as a Director of the Thunder Bay Law Association; and competed as an oralist at Moot competitions in University. She attended Lakehead University and Carleton University. Natalie has appeared at: Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario; Canadian Human Rights Tribunal; Superior Court of Justice; Divisional Court. Natalie has represented: institutional clients, corporations, private clients throughout Ontario; Not For Profit organizations; First Nations police services; largest First Nations political and territorial organization of Ontario; First Nations Chief and Council. Notable cases: she argued at Divisional Court for First Nations communities to have the choice of child welfare service providers which align with their communities cultures and values. ARLENE PREDDIE Lawyer Languages: English Arlene focuses on Employment law, Human Rights, and Litigation. Arlene has years of experience working in Employment law, and previously, insurance defense as a claims attorney. KELSEY FILIPOWICZ Law Clerk Languages: English Kelsey is a graduate of the Law Clerk program at Niagara College, bringing a strong foundation in legal procedures and documentation. Kelsey is skilled at supporting legal teams with case preparation, file management, and client communication. When Kelsey is not working she enjoys spending time with her children and kayaking. MARINA LOR Lawyer Languages: English, French, Farsi, Chinese Marina completed her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations at UBC Okanagan in 2019 and earned her Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Civil Law from McGill University in 2023. Marina is happy to assist clients in English and in French. She also speaks Farsi and Chinese. When she's not in the office, Marina enjoys cross-stitching, card making and fashion illustration. OUR STORY SAGE (definition): Sage is a Anishinaabe medicine - it is burned as a purifier, releasing troubles from one's mind, and removing negative energy from the area in which it is burned. To give sage advice means to give sound, sensible, and intelligent advice. Founded in 2021, Sage Legal Solutions strives to provide our clients with sound and simplified legal advice in a cost-effective manner.

This is a no-cost, 15 minute consultation with a Lawyer to see if we are a good fit for you. Please request either a telephone or a video call (Zoom).

We are incredibly proud to share that our office has won Diamond in the St. Catharine's Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Lawyer, Best Law Firm, and Best Legal Services Winning 1 st  place in three separate categories is special because these Local Readers’ Choice Awards come directly from you—the people who trust us with your legal matters, refer your friends and family, and support our work, day after day. Your votes tell us that the effort we put into every file, every client interaction, and every late night is truly making a difference. This recognition means more to us than words can express—not just as legal professionals, but as a small, female-owned business working hard to make a positive impact in our community. This kind of recognition matters: it builds trust, raises visibility, and helps us stand out in a competitive industry where reputation is everything. It reassures new clients that when they walk through our doors, they’re choosing a team the community believes in.  It also motivates us to keep raising the bar in the legal services we provide and most importantly, it reminds us that the care, attention, and advocacy we put into every file truly makes a difference. Thank you for believing in us, supporting our team , and helping our small business thrive. We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve you—and we look forward to another year of standing firmly in your corner! ---Natalie Posala, Founding Lawyer

There are some upcoming changes to the Small Claims Court procedures coming into effect on October 1, 2025. For those unfamiliar with civil procedure, Small Claims Court is a branch of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The first step in any civil matter is to determine which court has jurisdiction. Currently, there are 3 ways to proceed through the court system; simplified procedure for claims up to $200,000; regular procedure for claims of any amount – there is no maximum threshold; and Small Claims Court for monetary claims under $35,000. Small Claims Court is often a more appealing choice to navigate the legal system due to the quicker, simpler, and more affordable process. Currently, the monetary limit an individual can claim in Small Claims Court is $35,000.00, however, as of October 1, 2025, the amendment Ontario Regulation 626/00  increases that limit to $50,000. What does this mean for claimants? Under the old Rules, the courts would see many plaintiffs often choosing to write off thousands of dollars in damages in order for their matter to be heard in Small Claims Court. The new change allows for a larger threshold, and less loss to claimants. The changes are also being implemented to keep up with today’s economy, and to improve access to justice for individuals, all while easing the strain of the higher courts. The last increase to the claim limit was made in 2020 when the limit increased from $25,000 to the current $35,000.

In Canada, judges hold an essential role as impartial decision makers and are entrusted to apply the law fairly and consistently. Their authority carries immense weight on the court system and respecting their decisions is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the court system. Though everyone may not always agree with a judge’s decision, it is important to remember that judges are bound by legal principles and precedents. However, there are rare occasions where a judicial decision may seem unusual. One such instance occurred in R. v. Leclaire, 2025 ONSC 4203 . In this matter, the Respondent plead guilty to impaired driving for the fifth time. This time the Respondent was impaired by drug, namely fentanyl (amongst other drugs), and was driving while under a 2-year driving prohibition. The Crown made it clear that they would be filing a Notice of Application for Increased Penalty, and that by statute the Respondent would need to serve 4 months of jail time, but Justice Jalali had a different plan: [16]           Her Honour then asked the Crown: “ Mr. Jackson what would you do if I sentenced the gentleman to four months conditional anyways?” [17]           The Crown responded, “That is not permitted by statute”. [18]           Her Honour replied:  “I know, but what if I do?”                     The Crown replied: “I will have to seek advice from my management”.   Despite the mandatory minimum sentence, Justice Jalali, who was appointed in October 2018, imposed a four-month conditional sentence with house arrest, citing mitigating factors. While a judge must consider mitigating factors in sentencing, the penalty she imposed disregarded the statute and ultimately undermined the administration of justice. The matter was brought back before the appellate court where the appellate judge set aside Justice Jalali’s sentence. The Respondent was instead sentenced to four months jail. Justice Jalali’s decision not only failed to apply the law correctly but also resulted in a waste of the court’s time and resources sparking quite the backlash on social media platforms and online forums from civilians voicing their opinions and discontentment.   Disclaimer: The content shared here is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice.