How do I complain about my lawyer’s bill?
If you think your legal bill is too high, try talking to your lawyer or paralegal about it.
Most lawyers and paralegals want to solve problems before a client makes a formal complaint.
Your legal bill is usually made of up 2 parts:
- Legal fees: These fees are based on the amount of time your lawyer or paralegal spent on your case. Time spent on things like preparing documents and going to court or to a tribunal .
- Disbursements: These are costs your lawyer or paralegal paid when handling your case, for example, making photocopies and paying the court filing fee.
The agreement you signed when you hired your lawyer or paralegal should have explained these costs. The agreement is called a agreement.
Lawyer’s bill
If talking with your lawyer does not resolve your problem, you can ask an assessment officer from the to review your bill.
You must ask for a review within one month of getting your bill. If more than a month has passed, you have to get permission from a judge to have an assessment officer review your bill.
Paralegal’s bill
If talking with your paralegal does not resolve your problem, you can them in:
- Small Claims Court (SCC), if the amount you want back is under $50,000
- the Superior Court of Justice (SCJ), if the amount you want back is more than $50,000.
You must file your claim with the SCC or SCJ within 2 years of when you first learned about the problem with your bill.
Law Society of Ontario
You cannot complain to the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) about your lawyer or paralegal's fees. The LSO does not decide the fees that lawyers and paralegals charge and they cannot reduce bills that people think are too high.
You can only complain to the LSO if your lawyer or paralegal:
- did not do their job properly, or
- behaved unprofessionally.