My billing is based on a block fee up to a settlement resolution (by plea or otherwise). My minimum fee for the completion of any Criminal case is the block fee. All accounts are subject to 13% HST which the CLIENT will pay. Individual cases may require us to hire expert witnesses or to have testing done outside of Court. These charges are in addition to any legal fees. Phone calls, meetings, pre-trials, Court attendances and negotiations, review of disclosure, formulation of a strategy and conduct of your defence will be undertaken. Unusual circumstances, demands, time commitment and the result obtained will all factor into any final billing. Please be advised that we expect payment of the retainer and any refresher retainers to be paid in advance in full. We do not accept personal cheques nor VISA. Email money transfers or cash are acceptable please.
Legal fees do not include disbursement fees such as photocopying, paralegal services, long distance phone calls and courier costs as well as travel costs are not included in basic fees. All fees and disbursement are subject to 13% HST.
RETAINER
The retainer is an amount paid to our firm in trust, for deposit to your credit, on the understanding that it will be used to satisfy our accounts for legal services, and disbursements, at the time accounts are delivered. The retainer is a source of payment for your accounts. Please understand that no work will be done and no disbursements will be incurred until the appropriate financial retainer is deposited as and when required. Of course, any unused portion of the retainer will be refunded to you at the end of our work for you.
All amounts paid to us as retainer funds, are placed in our mixed trust account and drawn upon from time to time to satisfy our accounts. We note that we do not earn any interest on such funds held in trust nor is interest credited to you. All interest, which may accrue, is paid directly to the Law Foundation of Ontario in accordance with Law Society of Ontario guidelines.
You have agreed to provide us with an initial retainer. You may provide us with partial amounts so that we may start work on your file, although that may limit the amount of work we are able to complete for you. You specifically consent to our satisfying any appropriate internal accounts by way of consultation fees or accounts for work on your file from your trust funds. These internal accounts will not increase the total amount of fees that we charge to you.