PURCHASE
From
$1,249.99
+ HST + permitted disbursements
Legal work for your Ontario home purchase.
Get a purchase quoteFEES AND CLOSING COSTS
Clear fees.
No decoding required.
The legal fee is one part of your closing costs. See our starting fees and how the other amounts fit into your transaction. We confirm your fee and scope in writing before you retain us.
SALE
From
$1,049.99
+ HST + permitted disbursements
Legal work for your Ontario home sale.
Get a sale quoteREFINANCE
From
$1,049.99
+ HST + permitted disbursements
Legal work for your Ontario mortgage refinance.
Get a refinance quoteAll amounts in CAD. HST and permitted disbursements are additional. What are disbursements? Your fee reflects the details of your closing. We confirm the fee and scope in writing before you retain us.
THREE DIFFERENT THINGS
Your fee.
Your expenses.
Your closing funds.
Our legal fee
The fee for the legal services covered by your written quote. HST is added to this amount.
Permitted disbursements
Specified expenses paid to others for your transaction, such as government registration charges and title insurance. The applicable amounts vary by file.
Other money required to close
Your down payment balance, mortgage payouts, adjustments and other transaction amounts. These are not all charges for your lawyer’s services.
WHAT ARE DISBURSEMENTS?
Expenses paid
for your transaction.
A disbursement is an expense paid to another party in carrying out your legal work. It is separate from the legal fee.
For advertised residential real estate fees, the additional permitted disbursements are specific. Not every item applies to every file. Your quote and closing statement identify the relevant charges.
| Item | What it pays for |
|---|---|
| Government registration fees | Registering documents such as the transfer or mortgage. |
| Government and municipal fees | Applicable records, certificates or due diligence enquiries. |
| Teranet fees | Applicable land information and electronic registration services. |
| Title insurance premium | A title insurance policy, where obtained for the transaction. |
| Condominium status certificate | The corporation’s status certificate package, where required. |
| Creditor lawyer letters | Letters addressing executions registered against someone with a similar name, where needed. |
| Land transfer tax | A government tax that may apply to a property transfer. It can be a significant separate part of your closing budget. |
HST and the permitted disbursements are additional to our advertised fees. Tax treatment can differ between expenses. We itemise the applicable amounts rather than applying a single estimate to every file.
A SIMPLE STARTING POINT
Starting fees, with HST.
These amounts include Ontario’s 13% HST on the legal fee only. They are not a total closing quote. Permitted disbursements and other closing funds are additional.
| Transaction | Starting legal fee | HST on fee | Fee + HST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase | $1,249.99 | $162.50 | $1,412.49 |
| Sale | $1,049.99 | $136.50 | $1,186.49 |
| Refinance | $1,049.99 | $136.50 | $1,186.49 |
Why the total
varies by file.
A purchase with a mortgage has different expenses from a sale. The property, documents, lender and timing can affect the costs that apply.
Once we have your transaction details, we provide a written quote identifying the fee, work and anticipated permitted disbursements before you retain us. If you later ask us to undertake additional work, we discuss and agree the scope and fee before proceeding. Your closing statement sets out the final amounts based on the information available for closing.
Other amounts to plan for
Depending on your transaction, your budget may also need to account for a mortgage penalty, lender or broker charges, real estate commission and adjustments between buyer and seller. These are separate from our legal fee.
Other legal services
Private lending, title transfers, status certificate reviews and independent advice or representation are quoted to scope. Tell us the service and deadline so we can confirm the work involved.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Get the numbers for your transaction.
Share your property location, transaction type and timing. We will provide a written quote.