The most widely read magazine for Canadian lawyers
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/1240413
www.canadianlawyermag.com 21 WEST EAST ONTARIO $2,061 $1,500 $2,400 $5,200 $2,333.33 $5,300 $6,388 $2,333.33 $4,500 $5,750 $3,500 $4,000 $7,791 - $5,550 $2,125 $1,000 $1,643 $1,383 - $1,600 $1,493 $950 $1,522 $922 $734.33 $881 $4,000 $5,583.33 $7,454 $2,791 $2,500 $1,744 $5,000 - $5,000 $16,666 $16,666.67 $20,500 $1,034 $1,286.33 $1,138 $779 $903.67 $938 $1,635 $1,962.50 $1,937 $3,160 $2,144.33 $1,903 $2,735 $2,176.60 $2,163 $2,025 $1,254.17 $1,536 $493 $717 $506 $963 $1,228 $996 $1,156 $1,038.75 $1,211 $254.50 $490.20 $288 $380.25 $308 $260 $3,225.25 $2,513.20 $2,881 tations and, while clients are more sophisti- cated, their proactivity can sometimes border on hubris, according to Gossin. The internet and the do-it-yourself market are having an impact on client fee expectations, espe- cially in the corporate world and in wills and estates, he says. Coming to their lawyer from a Google search, clients are less motivated to pay lawyer fees for drafting a will or incorpo- rating their company, he says. "Clients call me up and say, 'I incorporated myself online' and I say to them, 'Oh, OK, why are you phoning me?' 'I don't know. I don't know what to do next.' I say, 'OK, well did you happen to just use common shares or did you have any other kinds of shares in there?' 'I don't know.' 'Did you create a minute book?' 'What's a minute book?'" Another client approached him saying he wanted to enter into an unusual commer- cial arrangement, had printed out an agree- ment from the internet and wanted Gossin to look at it. It turned out it was for a U.S. legal environment and didn't consider relevant Canadian legislation. "The market out there for do-it-yourself is rudimentary at best," Gossin says. "It will not do what a lawyer can do." Less than 25% 46.5% 26% to 50% 11.2% 51% to 75% 5.6% 76% to 90% 5.6% No/none 20% IF YOU DO LEGAL AID WORK, WHAT PERCENT- AGE OF YOUR BUSINESS (IN TERMS OF REVENUE) IS IT?