Membership Status and Fee Paying Category

Lawyers are responsible for providing the Law Society with their membership status and fee paying category, and must immediately notify the Law Society after any change in contact information or status. Changes reported after the end of the year in which they occurred will not result in a reduction of fees for the prior year.

There are various fee paying statuses and associated categories, which determine the percentage of the annual fee that is payable. Lawyers engaged in the practice of law are in a 100% fee paying category. Examples of the practice of law include:

• the provision of advice to a person with respect to the legal interests or rights of that person or another person
• ​the drafting, revising or completion of documents on behalf of a person that affects the legal interests, rights or responsibilities of a person (e.g. last will and testament, transfer of title to real property, a document for use in a proceeding before an adjudicative body)
• the review of documents in support of litigation that require the lawyer to exercise his or her legal knowledge, skills and judgment
• ​the representation of a person in a proceeding before an adjudicative tribunal, and

• the negotiation of legal interests, rights or responsibilities of a person

In addition, lawyers must arrange for professional liability insurance through LAWPRO or apply to LAWPRO for approval of an exemption in accordance with By-Law 6 under the Law Society Act.