Main page > Information for lawyers > Account & Billing > Tariff & Billing

Information for lawyers

Tariff & Billing

The legal aid tariff is a regulation setting out the compensation for lawyers who provide services to low-income clients. It sets hourly rates, and also establishes the maximum number of hours that Legal Aid Ontario pays a lawyer for specific types of proceedings.

The legal aid tariff reflects the fees customarily paid by a client of modest means. These fees apply for all legal aid services, except in exceptional cases.

In 2010, the provincial government established a schedule of tariff rate increases over the next seven years.

Legal Aid Ontario also pays lawyers block fees for some of the most common criminal charges.

Tariff Rates

There are four different hourly rates; three depend on a lawyers’ tier level, which is assessed based on certified years of experience. The fourth is for lawyers whose cases qualify for the Complex Case Rate. Lawyers must be on the Complex Case Rate panel in order to receive this rate.

	Revised Tariff Rates
Effective	Feb 1, 2010 Year 1	Apr 1, 2010 Year 2	Apr 1, 2011 Year 3	Apr 1, 2012 Year 4	Apr 1, 2013 Year 5	Apr 1, 2014 Year 6	Apr 1, 2015 Year 7
Lawyer Rate Tier 1	$81.44	$85.51	$89.79	$94.28	$98.99	$103.94	$109.13
Lawyer Rate Tier 2	$91.62	$96.20	$101.01	$106.07	$111.37	$116.94	$122.78
Lawyer Rate Tier 3	$101.81	$106.90	$112.24	$117.85	$123.74	$129.94	$136.43
Complex Criminal Case Rate	$120.02	$124.82	$129.81	$135.00	$141.75	$148.84	$161.05

* Due to rounding some previously published rates have been adjusted by approximately 1 cent (March 2012)

Rate structure

Tariff structure for all areas except Northern Ontario

Tariff structure for all areas except Northern Ontario

Please note that the tariff hourly rate is based on the issue date of the certificate, while duty counsel rates are based on the service date.

Tier Level	Hourly Rate (all areas except the North)
	Certificates issued on or after Feb 1/10	Certificates issued on or after April 1/10	Certificates issued on or after April 1/11	Certificates issued on or after April 1/12	Certificates issued on or after April 1/13
Tier 1	$81.44	$85.51	$89.79	$94.28	$98.99
Tier 2**	$91.62	$96.20	$101.01	$106.07	$111.36
Tier 3**	$101.80	$106.89	$112.24	$117.85	$123.74
Law Clerk	$24.15	$25.36	$26.63	$27.96	$29.36
Student-at-Law	$48.30	$50.72	$53.26	$55.92	$58.72
Junior Counsel – court	N.A.*	N.A.*	N.A.*	N.A.*	N.A.*
Travel Tier 1	$43.00	$43.00	$43.00	$43.00	$43.00
Travel Tier 2	$48.38	$48.38	$48.38	$48.38	$48.38
Travel Tier 3	$53.75	$53.75	$53.75	$53.75	$53.75
Duty Counsel – Services	$81.44	$85.51	$89.79	$94.28	$98.99
Duty Counsel – Travel	$43.00	$43.00	$43.00	$43.00	$43.00

* Effective February 1, 2010 there is no separate rate for Junior Counsel
** Pursuant to regulation 14.1 and 14.2 as well as 24.1 and 24.2 of Tariff Regulation for Criminal and Civil Matters respectively

Tariff structure for Northern areas

Tariff structure for Northern areas

Please note that as of April 1, 2012, the Guaranteed Daily Rate (GDR) is $1,021.03.

The GDR is available only for certain duty counsel and certificate services in one of five designated areas (Cochrane Area 05, Kenora Area 15, Rainy River Area 35, Temiskaming Area 39 and communities served by Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation (NALSC) Area 48). The following chart summarizes the rate increases:

Tier Level	Hourly Rate (Northern Areas)
	Certificates issued on or after Feb 1/10	Certificates issued on or after April 1/10	Certificates issued on or after April 1/11	Certificates issued on or after April 1/12	Certificates issued on or after April 1/13
Tier 1	$89.58	$94.06	$98.77	$103.71	$108.89
Tier 2**	$100.78	$105.82	$111.12	$116.67	$122.50
Tier 3**	$111.98	$117.58	$123.46	$129.64	$136.11
Law Clerk	$24.15	$25.36	$26.63	$27.96	$29.36
Student-at-Law	$53.13	$55.79	$58.59	$61.51	$64.59
Junior Counsel – court	N.A.*	N.A.*	N.A.*	N.A.*	N.A.*
Travel Tier 1	$47.30	$47.30	$47.30	$47.30	$47.30
Travel Tier 2	$53.21	$53.21	$53.21	$53.21	$53.21
Travel Tier 3	$59.13	$59.13	$59.13	$59.13	$59.13
Duty Counsel – Services	$89.58	$94.06	$98.77	$103.71	$108.89
Duty Counsel – Travel	$47.30	$47.30	$47.30	$47.30	$47.30
Guaranteed Daily Rate (Certificates & DC)	$882.00	$926.10	$972.41	$1,021.03	$1,072.08

As a result of the April 1, 2010 tariff increases, there is now only one standard rate for all GDR certificate and duty counsel services provided in the north.

Tariff pre-authorizations

LAO will increase the number of hours for particular proceedings, effective on certificates issued on or after Nov. 26, 2012.
» Read more

The Tariff & Billing Handbook

The handbook is a plain language interpretation of policies, procedures, and regulations for legal aid billing and the tariff. It is intended for lawyers (and their staff) already on a legal aid panel—duty counsel and/or private bar lawyers. Find out more information about registering for panel membership. The handbook contains a summary of tariff changes that took effect May 9, 2010. This includes:

• The tariff hourly rate is based on the issue date of the certificate - check the certificate issue date to determine which hourly rate applies
• Duty counsel rates are based on the service date

Tariff & Billing Handbook:

Tariff and Billing Handbook

Note: Information on disbursements can now be found in the Disbursements Handbook

Lawyers and Legal Aid Ontario

The certificate and duty counsel programs form a public-private partnership, serving low-income individuals throughout Ontario.

The province, through Legal Aid Ontario, provides funding and other support, while private lawyers contribute to legal aid by accepting the legal aid rates and tariff for legal services provided to clients.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding the legal aid tariff or billing Legal Aid Ontario please contact the Lawyer Service Centre.
  » Telephone: 416-979-9934
  » Toll free: 1-866-979-9934

Representatives are available Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), an independent but publicly funded and publicly accountable non-profit corporation. None of this material may be commercially reproduced, but copying for other purposes, with credit, is encouraged.