Fee Disputes, Costly Mistakes and Official Sources
Official sources on lawyer fees in Canada: law societies, courts, legal aid and tax
A directory of the official bodies to check for lawyer fees in Canada: law societies, courts and small claims, legal aid plans, fee review bodies, tax authorities and free legal information.
The official sources for lawyer fees in Canada are spread across four kinds of body: law societies (licensing, fee rules, complaints, contingency fee rules), courts (small claims limits, costs rules, assessment or review of lawyers' bills), legal aid plans (free or subsidised help), and tax authorities (GST, HST, QST and PST on legal services, and deductibility of legal fees). Because almost every rule is provincial, the first step is always to find the right body for your province, and in Quebec to remember that lawyers, notaries, courts and legal aid each have their own Quebec institutions. This directory lists the main ones, what to check at each, and how to use them to confirm anything in our guides.
This guide is part of the costly mistakes guide. We link only to home pages; use each site's search or menu to find the specific page.
How to use this directory
- Identify your province and the type of question: fees and conduct, court procedure, legal aid, or tax.
- Go to the home page listed and use the site search with precise terms, for example "contingency fee agreement", "assessment of account", "small claims limit", "financial eligibility".
- Check the date on the page. Regulations, limits and tax rates change.
- For statutes and rules, read the current consolidated version on the official e-laws site or CanLII, not a summary.
- If the rule matters to a decision you are about to make, phone the body or ask a lawyer to confirm it.
National bodies
| Body | What to check |
|---|---|
| Federation of Law Societies of Canada | Links to all 14 law societies; the Model Code of Professional Conduct that most provincial codes follow |
| Canadian Bar Association | Professional association (not a regulator); public information and some provincial branch referral programs |
| Canada Revenue Agency | GST/HST rates and place-of-supply rules; lawyers' disbursements; deductibility of legal fees |
| Department of Justice Canada | Federal laws, including the Criminal Code and Divorce Act; federal funding of legal aid |
| CanLII | Free access to statutes, regulations, rules of court and decisions, including costs and fee assessment decisions |
Law societies and professional orders by province
| Province | Body | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Law Society of Ontario | Lawyer and Paralegal Directory, Rules of Professional Conduct, contingency fee standard form, Law Society Referral Service, Compensation Fund, complaints |
| British Columbia | Law Society of British Columbia | Lawyer Directory, Law Society Rules Part 8 (fees and contingency caps), complaints, trust assurance |
| Alberta | Law Society of Alberta | Lawyer directory, Code of Conduct, complaints |
| Quebec | Barreau du Québec | Directory of lawyers, conciliation and arbitration of accounts, syndic, indemnity fund |
| Quebec | Chambre des notaires du Québec | Directory of notaries, notaries' fees and complaints |
| Other provinces and territories | Via the Federation's website | Each law society's directory, rules on fees and complaint process |
Courts and tribunals
| Body | What to check |
|---|---|
| Ontario Courts | Small Claims Court, Superior Court of Justice procedures, practice directions, information for self-represented parties |
| Ontario e-Laws | Solicitors Act (assessment, contingency fees, interest), O. Reg. 563/20, O. Reg. 626/00 (small claims limit), Rules of Civil Procedure, Courts of Justice Act |
| Courts of British Columbia | Supreme Court Civil Rules, tariff of costs, registrar reviews of lawyers' bills |
| Provincial Court of British Columbia | Small claims from $5,001 to $35,000 |
| Civil Resolution Tribunal | Online small claims of $5,000 and under and other matters within its jurisdiction |
| Alberta Courts | Alberta Court of Justice civil claims up to $100,000, Court of King's Bench, Rules of Court and review officers |
| Éducaloi | Plain-language guides to Quebec courts, including the Small Claims Division, legal costs and lawyers' fees |
Legal aid and free help
| Body | What to check |
|---|---|
| Legal Aid Ontario | Financial eligibility, certificates, duty counsel, community legal clinics |
| Legal Aid BC | Eligibility and services in BC |
| Legal Aid Alberta | Eligibility and services in Alberta |
| Commission des services juridiques | Aide juridique in Quebec, free and contributory components |
| CLEO | Ontario public legal education, Steps to Justice |
| Clicklaw | BC public legal information and help directory |
Insurance and financial protection
| Body | What to check |
|---|---|
| LAWPRO | Professional liability insurance for Ontario lawyers |
| Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario | Insurance regulation in Ontario, including auto insurance rules relevant to injury claims |
| Autorité des marchés financiers | Insurance regulation and consumer complaints in Quebec |
| General Insurance OmbudService | Independent complaints about home, auto and business insurers |
| Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation | How deposit insurance applies to trust deposits |
Tax authorities
| Body | What to check |
|---|---|
| Canada Revenue Agency | GST/HST rates (13% Ontario; 14% Nova Scotia since 1 April 2025; 15% New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI; 5% GST elsewhere) |
| Revenu Québec | QST at 9.975% |
| Government of British Columbia | PST bulletin on legal services |
What we check before publishing
For each guide on this site, we start from the statute, regulation or rule of court, then the law society's own guidance, then the court's public information. Where a figure changes regularly, such as a small claims limit, a tax rate or an indexed amount, we state it as of October 2026 with the official body named, and flag that you should confirm it. If you find something out of date, please tell us through the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Which source is authoritative if two disagree?
The current statute, regulation or rule of court, as consolidated on the official e-laws site, prevails over guides and summaries, including ours. Court decisions interpret them.
Where can I find what lawyers typically charge?
There is no official price list. Some legal publications run surveys of fees, but results vary by region and sample. The best source for your matter is written estimates from two or three lawyers.
Is CanLII official?
CanLII is run by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and provides free access to legislation and decisions. For the official version of a statute, check the government's own e-laws site.
Are law society rules the same across Canada?
They are similar, because most follow the Federation's Model Code, but each province adopts its own version and adds its own rules, for example BC's contingency fee caps.
Sources
- Federation of Law Societies of Canada — gateway to every law society
- CanLII — legislation and decisions
- Canada Revenue Agency — federal tax rules
- Barreau du Québec — Quebec lawyers
- Ontario e-Laws — Ontario statutes and regulations
