Billing & Fees

A retainer is money you pay in advance that we hold to cover fees and expenses as your matter proceeds. It is not a flat price for the whole file. Retainers are standard practice at Alberta law firms and protect both sides by making the funding of the file clear from the start. The amount depends on the type and complexity of your matter, and it is set out in the retainer agreement before any work begins.

A trust account is a separate bank account where a law firm holds client money, kept apart from the operating funds of the firm. Alberta lawyers must follow the trust accounting rules of the Law Society of Alberta, and those accounts are subject to audit. Your retainer sits in trust and remains your money until we bill for work actually done and expenses actually incurred, at which point the invoiced amount is transferred out.

Both, depending on the work. Matters with a predictable scope, such as a straightforward will or a single uncontested step, often suit a flat fee so you know the cost in advance. Matters where the volume of work depends on the other side, such as contested family or criminal files, are usually billed hourly at the rate for the lawyer or staff member doing the work. We confirm which applies to you in writing before starting.

Disbursements are out of pocket costs we pay to third parties on your behalf, separate from legal fees. Common examples include court filing fees, process server charges, land titles and corporate registry searches, medical or expert reports, transcripts, and courier costs. They are passed on to you at what they cost us and appear as their own line items on your invoice. We tell you in advance about any significant disbursement.

Yes. Legal services in Canada are subject to GST, and it applies to our fees and to many disbursements. Your invoice shows fees, disbursements, and GST separately so you can see exactly what makes up the total. When we estimate what a matter is likely to cost, ask whether the figure is before or after tax, so that you are budgeting against the same number we are working from.

Most files are billed monthly while work is ongoing, with a final account when the matter closes. Flat fee work is typically billed when the work is delivered or at agreed stages. Each invoice sets out the work performed, the time spent where the file is hourly, the disbursements paid, and the GST charged. If anything on an account is unclear, call us and we will walk you through it line by line.

We accept common payment methods including debit, major credit cards, certified funds, and electronic transfers, and our staff will confirm what is available for your matter and how to send funds securely. Be cautious about payment instructions that arrive unexpectedly by email, since fraud attempts targeting legal payments are common. If you receive changed banking details, call our office using a number you already have before sending anything.

Contingency arrangements are common in personal injury matters, where the fee is a percentage of what is recovered and is payable only if the claim succeeds. Disbursements are still incurred while the claim proceeds and are dealt with in the written agreement. Contingency fees are not available for most other work, including family, criminal, and estate matters. We will tell you at the consultation whether your matter can be handled this way.

We can give you an estimate and explain what drives the cost, but we cannot promise a fixed total on a file where the other side controls part of the work. Cooperation, complete documents, and a willingness to settle reduce cost. Contested applications, expert reports, and trials increase it. We update your estimate if the matter changes direction, because we would rather have an uncomfortable conversation early than surprise you later.

We will ask you to top it up. Keeping funds in trust lets the work continue without interruption at the moments when delay is most expensive, such as ahead of a filing deadline or a hearing. If a top up is not made, we will discuss the options with you, which may include narrowing the scope of the work or, in some circumstances, withdrawing from the file, subject to the professional obligations that apply in Alberta.

Any balance remaining in trust after the final account is paid belongs to you and is returned to you. You receive a final invoice showing the fees, disbursements, and GST charged over the life of the file, together with an accounting of what came into trust and what went out. If you have questions about the final numbers, raise them before the file is closed so we can review the account with you.