Service Fees for Family, Fertility, and Estate Matters
At Crossroads Law, we prioritize making legal services cost-effective. We provide an array of options, designed to meet each client’s unique circumstance and budget. The cost of our services may vary, depending on the type of support you require and how you choose to use our services.
The following provides a general overview the services we offer and how our legal fees are calculated.
Full Representation – Traditional Model
Our full representation service, one of the most common ways to engage any lawyer, is where you (the client) retain us to represent you and protect your interests throughout the course of your legal proceedings.
Our lawyers bill their time in 6-minute increments, corresponding to 0.1 of an hour on your invoice. The hourly rates of our lawyers vary depending on who you choose to work with, considering their experience and area of expertise.
In this model, the retained lawyer will bill you for all the time they spend on your case. This includes but is not limited to:
- Telephone calls
- Emails
- Meetings
- Consultations with experts
- Preparation time
- Sending correspondence
- Receiving and reviewing correspondence
- Drafting documents
- Travel time, accommodations, and associated costs (where applicable)
- Reviewing documents and files
- Research
- Instructions to assistants and lawyers
- Court appearances
- All time spent in providing legal services to you in the matter
In addition, each lawyer at Crossroads Law is assisted by a paralegal or legal assistant who handles administrative tasks and assists in moving your case forward. Legal support staff can assist with a range of tasks, including drafting documents, correspondence, emails, and interacting with you over phone, via email, or in-person.
Paralegals and legal assistants also bill in 6-minute increments, represented as 0.1 of an hour on your invoice, at a rate of $185 per hour.
There are certain circumstances where fees may need to be modified. These might include urgent or emergency situations that require a lawyer to reschedule a meeting, attend an emergency court appearance, or respond to other special demands. In these instances, the lawyer's hourly rate may be higher. This increased rate will depend on the specific lawyer you retain and will be detailed in their service agreement.
Mediation or Arbitration
At Crossroads Law, we highly recommend alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation or arbitration, where suitable. These processes can provide clients with more control over the outcome of their case, and often result in a more cost-effective and less adversarial experience.
Our skilled mediators and arbitrators bill their time in 6-minute increments, denoted as 0.1 of an hour on your invoice.
Mediation is a collaborative process in which both parties work towards a resolution that's agreeable to all. As such, the costs are typically split equally between the parties. However, there may be situations where one party covers a larger portion—or even the full amount—of the cost. This is commonly seen in cases where there's a significant income disparity.
Family law mediations usually span 1 to 3 sessions, with each session lasting approximately 6 hours. The number of sessions and duration can be adjusted when necessary, and as mutually agreed upon by the parties.
Arbitration, another form of alternative dispute resolution, can serve as an effective option when parties prefer a structured settlement process but wish to avoid the formalities and public nature of court. It can be cost-effective and efficient, often leading to faster resolutions than traditional court proceedings. Much like mediation, the costs of arbitration are typically shared equally between the parties, unless decided otherwise by the arbitrator or agreed upon by the parties. The structure and timing of arbitration sessions vary based on the complexity of the case and the agreement between the parties.
Collaborative Divorce
Collaborative divorce, also known as collaborative family law, is a private and voluntary method of dispute resolution. It allows separating couples to commit to resolving their family law issues outside of court, working cooperatively towards a fair and enduring settlement. This process is a distinct departure from traditional court-based divorces as it encourages collaboration and negotiation between the couple and their lawyers.
Our skilled collaborative divorce lawyers bill their time in 6-minute increments, equivalent to 0.1 of an hour on your bill.
Like other services, our collaborative divorce lawyers are supported by paralegals or legal assistants who perform administrative tasks and assist in moving the case forward. These tasks can include drafting documents, correspondence, and emails. This also includes time spent corresponding with you (the client) whether by phone, via email, or in-person. Paralegals and assistants also bill in 6-minute increments, represented as 0.1 of an hour on your invoice, at an hourly rate of $185.
Flat Rate Services
We recognize the cost of professional legal services can be a significant concern for many people. To address this, we provide a flat fee structure for certain uncontested matters — cases where all parties are in agreement. If there's disagreement about how to proceed, the flat fee structure will not apply.
When you consult with a family lawyer at Crossroads Law, they will guide you in determining which services are most suited to your situation. If you're interested in exploring our flat fee services, don't hesitate to ask. Our lawyers will also assess your case to see if you're eligible for these services.
Here's a summary of the flat fee services we currently offer. Please note, these rates do not include tax or filing fees, and these are additional costs above the flat rates:
- Prenuptial/Marriage & Cohabitation Agreements ($4,000)
- Spousal Support Waiver/Agreement ($1,500)
- Divorces WITHOUT children ($2,500)
- Divorces WITH children ($3,000)
- Separation Agreements WITHOUT Children ($3,500)
- Separation Agreement WITH Children ($4,000)
- Adoptions ($3,300)
- Adult Guardianship Applications (Alberta) ($3,000)
Fertility Law
- Sperm Donor Agreements ($1,900)
- ILA on Sperm Donor Agreement ($850)
- ILA on Embryo Donation Agreement ($1,050)
- ILA on Ova Donation Agreement ($950)
- ILA on Surrogacy Agreement, flat rate of ($1,500)
- Preparation of Surrogacy Agreement ($3,500)
- Egg Donation Agreement ($1,900)
- Embryo Donation Agreement ($1,900)
Wills and Estates
- Wills ($800)
- Will, including Power of Attorney and Personal Directive/Representation Agreement ($1,100)
- Mirrored Wills for a couple: ($1,400)
- Mirrored Wills with Power of Attorneys and Personal Directives for a couple: ($1,800)
- Power of Attorney: ($350)
- Personal Directive/Representation Agreement: ($350)
Legal Coaching
Legal coaching, sometimes referred to as unbundled or limited scope legal services, offers an affordable alternative to traditional full representation services. Rather than having a family lawyer go to court for you, you represent yourself in divorce court and your lawyer works for you in the background as a legal coach. They can help you draft legal documents, give you advice, and prepare you for formal proceedings, such as court, mediation, arbitration, etc.
When you engage a legal coach at Crossroads Law, you decide how and when you need their help with your divorce or separation. This approach can significantly reduce your legal expenses as you only pay for the work you require.
Our legal coaches similarly bill their time in 6-minute increments, corresponding to 0.1 of an hour on your invoice. The hourly rates of our legal coaches vary depending on who you choose to work with, considering their experience and area of expertise.
File and Trust Administration
Does not apply to flat rate services
A onetime file opening fee of $120 is charged at the start of your matter. This fee covers the cost of opening and maintaining your file, including both physical and electronic storage, in accordance with Law Society recordretention requirements.
At the conclusion of your matter, we may retain up to $200 in trust for up to 60 days. This allows us to process any final disbursements that may be received after your file is otherwise complete. Any remaining funds held in trust will be returned to you once this process is finished.
You will also be charged a flat rate administration fee of 5% of your total legal fees on each account issued. This fee helps cover general administrative and operational costs associated with delivering legal services, including photocopying, printing, postage, binders, software (including cloud storage), research subscriptions, trust account transaction fees, credit card processing fees, and similar expenses.
Disbursements and Additional Fees
Does not apply to flat rate services
In addition to legal fees, clients are responsible for paying any reasonable out of pocket costs or third party fees incurred during our representation to move their matter forward. These disbursements may be included on your statement of account or billed separately.
Disbursements may include, but are not limited to:
- Court fees
- Expert reports
- Witness statements
- Court reporter’s fees
- Travel expenses
- Deliveries
- Photocopying
- Telexes
- Fees charged by agents who conduct searches and registrations
- Other reasonable out‑of‑pocket expenses
From time to time, larger disbursements may be required to advance your matter, such as expert reports or witness fees. In these situations, we may ask that funds be deposited into trust in advance so these costs can be incurred. If this is required, we will contact you beforehand to discuss the anticipated expenses and the amount needed.
Law Society of British Columbia Trust Administration Fee (TAF)
For clients with matters in British Columbia, you may see a disbursement on your statement of account described as a Law Society of British Columbia Trust Administration Fee (TAF). This is a fee collected on behalf of the Law Society and remitted directly to them.
The TAF applies only where the total amount of trust funds received in a single client matter exceeds $10,000. It is a one‑time fee, currently set at $20. The amount is determined by the Law Society and may change from time to time. Where applicable, the TAF will appear on your statement as a disbursement.
