The warning comes from Dan Shapiro who is the chief adjudicator of the Independent Assessment Process.
He says a handful of lawyers are continuing to unfairly dip into the pockets of residential school survivors who have qualified for benefits under the IAP.
This is why his agency has put out a rulebook which sets out minimum standards expected by lawyers when dealing with IAP clients.
Shapiro says some law firms may be offering loans to attract survivors.
Others could be failing to disclose all fees that are being charged to claimants, he says.
Both of these practices are cause for red flags.
There are also some reports of lawyers using the assistance of third-party agencies to fill out forms on behalf of claimants.
This practice may sound innocent enough, but Shapiro says the amount being charged for the service is not.
“Well the cut of the action we have heard about is not necessarily that small,” he says. “We’ve heard it ranging from 10 to 15 per cent of the award.”
For the most part, Shapiro says Saskatchewan has been free of these types of problems.
However, the agency has come across situations in Alberta, Manitoba and B.C. where steps have had to be taken.
So far, more than $2 billion has been paid out through the IAP process to residential school survivors in Canada.