FAQ

• P1 Paralegal Licence issued by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO)
• Active member of the LSO in perfect standing
• In compliance with the LSO's Rules of Professional Conduct and By-Law guidelines
• Honours Bachelor's Degree in Paralegal Studies graduate (with a Minor in Business Management)
• Graduated with honours on the Dean's Honours List with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.0
• Currently also a full-time Corporate Paralegal & Leasing Project Manager for Spectra Point Inc. Agents for Rogers Communications in the Network Infrastructure Development + Land Acquisition Department
• 6.5+ years of full-time experience as a Paralegal and Legal Assistant in numerous areas of law
• 10+ years of full-time work experience in managerial positions in various professional industries such as law, real estate, property development, corporate construction management, telecommunications infrastructure, and institutional architectural design
• No complaints ever received & no regulatory proceedings ever commenced against our firm
• Successful completion & a passing grade above 95% on the LSO licensing examination (7 hours in length)
• Completed a 420-hour, 14-week unpaid summer internship at Deloitte (in-house legal department) in 3rd Year of Degree studies mandatory in order to commence 4th Year
• Paralegal Membership with the Ontario Paralegal Association (OPA)
• Paralegal Membership with the Canadian Alliance of Paralegals (CAP)
• Certified Member of the Women in Business Network (WIBN)
• Professional Association with The Law Society Gazette
• Active Membership with the Toronto & GTA Women In Business Group (WIB)
• Certified Member of the International Project Management Association (IPMA)

We generally charge $175 per hour. However, depending on the case matter and a variety of other factors, our hourly rates can range from $120 to $225 per hour. Sometimes a flat/fixed fee is more suitable than an hourly rate in specific circumstances, such as for document commissioning.

The Ontario government introduced Paralegal regulation to enhance access to justice. Regulation would increase consumer choice and the competence and affordability of non-lawyer legal service providers. The Law Society agreed to regulate Paralegals in the best interests of the public and society. Since the introduction of Paralegal regulation in 2007, over 16 years ago, much evidence suggests that this outstanding decision greatly improved access to justice and the legal services industry in a variety of ways, including:

• access to affordable legal advice and representation, 
• the efficient use of resources and individual skills, 
• flexibility in service delivery,
  
• meeting the public's otherwise unmet legal needs,
  
• an increase in consumer choice by enlarging the market of legal professionals available, and
• offering a middle-solution and bridging the gap between no representation and expensive lawyers.

• 83% of Paralegals in Ontario identify as women, making the profession female-dominated. This is completely opposite to the Lawyer market, which is male-dominated.
• The demand for Paralegals is growing at a rate twice 2x as fast as Lawyers. 
• 87% of complaints to the Law Society were filed against Lawyers. Only 12% were filed against Paralegals. 
• 85% of family law litigants are unrepresented due to the dreaded cost of divorce proceedings - in response, the LSO is in development of a specialized licence that will allow Paralegals to represent clients in family court for certain matters. 
• Many tribunals in Ontario report that "Paralegals excel at paperwork and client advocacy in cases". 
  
• Law Society Treasurer Paul Schabas declared that paralegal regulation had improved consumer services and public protection. Licensed paralegals were described as "key providers" of access to justice for Ontarians.
  
• In a Report to the Attorney General, an independent five-year review was conducted which proclaimed the introduction of Paralegal regulation to be "by any objective measure, a success". 

Lisa Trabucco, What Are We Waiting For? It's Time to Regulate Paralegals in Canada, 2018 35 Windsor Yearbook on Access to Justice 149, 2018 CanLIIDocs 154, <https://canlii.ca/t/2bf2>, retrieved on 2023-03-05 

Just like their lawyer colleagues, Paralegals are skilled, trained professionals, supported by a full regulatory system that includes a code of professional conduct, liability insurance, ethical standards, and an open and transparent disciplinary process. Lawyers are licensed to provide legal services with respect to ALL Ontario laws. Paralegals are licensed to provide legal services with respect to SPECIFIC Ontario laws and NOT ALL. In most situations, both a Lawyer and a Paralegal are equally licensed to help you. Paralegals can provide services in all of the same areas of law as Lawyers, except for the following: Wills/Estate Law, Real Estate Law, Family Law, Civil Law Damages Above $35,000, and Indictable/Serious Criminal Law Charges.

On average, Paralegals charge anywhere from $100 to $350 per hour.

On average, Lawyers charge anywhere from $250 to $1,000 per hour.