2016 Annual Fee will not increase for lawyers and paralegals

Law Society 2016 budget, approved today, keeps fees static

TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2015 /CNW/ - Today, the Law Society of Upper Canada's governing body approved the 2016 budget in which Ontario lawyers and paralegals will see their annual fees remain unchanged from 2015.

Annual fees for 2016 will remain at $1,866 for practising lawyers and $996 for practising paralegals. 

"We are pleased to keep the 2016 annual fees static for both lawyers and paralegals," says Law Society Chief Executive Officer Robert G.W. Lapper, QC. "We have carefully managed costs to hold the line on fees and allocated resources to ensure the Law Society fulfils its mandate to protect the public interest."

The budget is intended to establish an appropriate annual fee for 2016 and address the Law Society's core mandate of regulating the legal profession in the public interest.

Primary factors influencing the 2016 budget were:

• Growth in the number of Ontario's lawyers and paralegals
• A need to replenish the lawyer Compensation Fund, which recently experienced two major defalcations
• The use of fund balances to mitigate annual fee increases and compliance with fund balance management policies.

"The budget provides appropriate resources for the Law Society's ongoing programs and new initiatives as the new governing board for the 2015–19 bencher term implements its strategic plan," says Law Society Treasurer Janet E. Minor. "I look forward to leading Convocation into 2016 and moving these priorities forward as we continue to strengthen our support for the legal professions and our regulatory model for the people of Ontario."

The Law Society regulates lawyers and paralegals in Ontario in the public interest. The Law Society has a duty to protect the public interest, to maintain and advance the cause of justice and the rule of law, to facilitate access to justice for the people of Ontario and act in a timely, open and efficient manner.

The Law Society of Upper Canada
Osgoode Hall
130 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON
M5H 2N6

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SOURCE The Law Society of Upper Canada

please contact: Orli Giroux Namian, Manager, Media Relations and Issues Management at 416-947-3336 or [email protected] or Denise McCourtie, Communications Advisor at 416-947-3362 or [email protected].