Questions to ask and documents to get before, during and after you retain a lawyer, so the bill matches what you agreed.
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Use this checklist from the first phone call until the final invoice. Each item is a question or document that, in practice, prevents a common fee surprise. Tick items as you go; your progress is saved only in your own browser.
How to use it. Work through the first two groups before you sign a retainer agreement. Canadian law societies require lawyers to be fair and reasonable about fees and to disclose them in a timely way, but the details of your arrangement are what you agree in writing, so ask for anything missing before work starts.
Worked example (illustrative). You are quoted $400 an hour for a contract dispute. By working through the checklist you learn that an associate at $275 will do most of the drafting, billing is in tenths of an hour, a $5,000 retainer is required and topped up monthly, HST applies at 13%, and the lawyer estimates $18,000 to $25,000 to the end of discoveries. That is the information you need to compare offices and to judge later invoices.
Limits. A checklist cannot tell you whether a fee is reasonable for your matter. If you are already in a dispute, see the guide to challenging a lawyer's bill and the hiring and budgeting guide.
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