Ukrainian couple paid lawyer $3K to help them stay in Canada but say she 'disappeared.' It's not the 1st time

Finding refuge in Canada from war-torn Ukraine, couple Oksana Hrabova and Oleg Lomanov say they didn't think twice about trusting their Hamilton immigration lawyer to help them stay permanently. 

Last summer, they met Victoria Bruyn in her downtown office and paid her a retainer of nearly $3,000 to help them file their permanent residency (PR) applications, said Hrabova. 

But after they sent Bruyn all of the necessary documents, she stopped responding to their emails, calls and texts in early January, said Hrabova. More than four months later, they say they never finalized the application with her and have given up hope that she will help them as promised.

"She simply disappeared," Hrabova said. "I understand $3,000 is not an enormous amount, but for us it is money that we worked hard for. We could never have imagined that a licensed lawyer in Canada could act this way. We are in despair." 

CBC Hamilton has spoken to four families since 2023 who say Bruyn didn't follow through on promises to help them navigate Canada's complicated, high-stakes immigration process, leaving them in limbo or, in some cases, facing deportation. 

They all expressed frustration with the lack of protection for newcomers to Canada, when needing legal representation, and accountability for Bruyn's actions. 

Bruyn is a licensed lawyer, but no longer practicing law as of Oct. 24, 2024, says the Law Society of Ontario (LSO)'s registry — a change Hrabova said she only learned of recently and one that happened while Bruyn was supposed to be handling their immigration case.

"It's not right," Hrabova said. "How can she just be playing with the lives of other people?" 

That day in October, Bruyn was appointed as a full-time adjudicator at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), according to the province's website. LTB adjudicators are like judges, hearing and deciding issues between renters and owners. 

Bruyn told CBC Hamilton she refutes Hrabova and Lomanov's claims.

"I have evidence to show these allegations are unfounded. However, I am unable to release information due to solicitor/client confidentiality," she said in an email. "I have received no waivers from any of the parties noted to speak about their cases, nor do I believe that it would be appropriate for me to do so." 

Tribunals Ontario, which includes the LTB, said it does not comment about the individual adjudicators it appoints, but generally speaking, they're subject to rigorous conflict of interest and criminal background checks and undergo training about their ethical obligations. 

"To maintain the trust of Ontarians, Tribunals Ontario, which includes the LTB, takes the ethical conduct of its staff and adjudicators very seriously," said spokesperson Veronica Spada in an email.

Hrabova's home city of Dnipro was pummeled with attacks when Russia invaded in early 2022. She has epilepsy and her seizures were triggered by the stress of the war, sleepless nights and a shortage of her medication.