How much do criminal lawyers charge to take on a case?

For cases that resolve without a trial, most Toronto/GTA lawyers in Ontario will charge a flat fee of somewhere between $1500 - $10,000. Cases that require a trial would normally see fees of $4000 - $50,000. Every lawyer is different in terms of their asking prices. Flat fees are sometimes also referred to as block or fixed fees. Higher asking prices do not indicate better service, ability, or that you will get a better result.

Just like any business, criminal lawyers can ask for whatever reasonable price they want. There are great variations in terms of what lawyers will ask clients to pay for numerous reasons unrelated to their abilities (semi retired, high overhead, subsidizing legal aid practice, etc.). Just because a lawyer asks for a certain price does not mean many people are actually paying it. It also does not mean their clients will get better service from them or a better result for their case.

The fee that a criminal lawyer asks for does not necessarily indicate their skill, knowledge, work ethic, success, etc.

There are some lawyers who ask for very high fees and have very few clients. Others ask for lower fees and have many. The latter may have a higher success percentage than the former. The notion that “you get what you pay for” does not apply to criminal law. This is because any lawyer can ask for whatever price they want. The quoted fee does not indicate that many people are actually paying their asking price nor does it indicate the lawyer’s ability as defence counsel.

Some of the lawyers who ask for high fees from private clients also accept Legal Aid Ontario certificates for the exact same types of cases that pay them very little for their services. This means they quote private clients many thousands of dollars more if paying out of their own pocket while simultaneously accepting files for much less money for the same charges if paid for by LAO/the government (sometimes less than $700 for a guilty plea which you can see for youself here). The price quoted to potential private clients is only truly indicative of what they are asking you to pay.

Just because a criminal lawyer quotes a certain fee doesn’t mean many people are actually paying it. It also doesn’t mean they are not taking on legal aid files for much less compensation from the government or other files for less. The skill and value of the work a criminal lawyer provides is not determined by the price they “ask for” since any lawyer can ask for any reasonable price they like (for which the range is quite substantial).

Higher fees quoted by lawyers could also be a result of unnecessarily high business operating costs

A lawyer may also be paying out a lot of money to rent their office and pay their support staff. A lawyer’s overhead costs are not necessarily an indication of their abilities or success rates. They simply reflect the lawyer’s business decisions on office expenses. In 2024 many office expenses that were standard in the past are simply no longer needed (and perhaps nor were they for the past decade). Some lawyers may be able to charge clients less money in fees and still earn more than the so-called expensive/high priced ones.

Takeaway: A relatively cheap lawyer may actually be more successful and effective at getting the charges dropped/withdrawn than the more expensive one. The lawyer quoting the higher fee may have very few private clients and be mostly relying on legal aid cases paying far less than what the so-called cheap criminal lawyer is asking for.

Most criminal lawyers in Ontario will quote a flat fee (aka block fee) per case and not an hourly rate. For more information on this please see our article on flat fee criminal lawyers.

You don't have to jeopardize your future or waste thousands of dollars on excessive legal fees. We provide effective and affordable lawyer representation for those charged with criminal offences throughout Ontario, Canada.

Have a skilled criminal lawyer who focuses on criminal law protect you and your future from the stigma and consequences of a criminal record and conviction.

Are you a lawyer? If you are defending a criminal case and are looking for expert advice regarding possible defences, case strategies, and information release management call us at: 647-228-5969.

Please note: We do not accept legal aid certificate cases. All clients are handled on a private retainer only.

*2024 Results: the percentage of 99% of clients avoiding a criminal record (conviction) stated on this page is based solely on Lawyer Mark Zinck's personal representation of approximately 2000 criminal defence case clients as of the year 2024. Past results are not necessarily an indication of future results.

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