Real Estate Lawyer Fees in Ontario (2026): A Transparent Breakdown
If you are buying or selling a home, real estate lawyer fees in Ontario are one closing cost you cannot skip — the law…
Services
Real estate services for Scarborough clients
Resale homes, condos and condo townhouses, first homes and investment properties, and refinances of the home you already own.
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Buying a home in Scarborough
Agreement review, title search and title insurance, your mortgage documents and registration on closing day.
Fee by price — instant quote -
Selling a home in Scarborough
Agreement review, mortgage payout and discharge, one signing appointment and your proceeds on closing.
Fee by price — instant quote -
Refinancing
A new mortgage or a switch of lenders on your Scarborough home, with the existing mortgage paid out and discharged.
Fee by mortgage amount — instant quote -
Condo status certificate review
Written notes on the reserve fund, special assessments and rules, within your condition period. Complimentary if we close your purchase.
$250 + HST -
Title transfers
Adding or removing an owner, including transfers between family members.
Quoted individually -
Pre-construction agreement review
A written review of the builder’s agreement before your cooling-off period ends.
$450 + HST
Land transfer tax
Scarborough buyers pay two land transfer taxes
Scarborough has been part of the City of Toronto since amalgamation in 1998, so a purchase here pays Ontario’s land transfer tax and the City’s municipal land transfer tax.
Up to $3,000,000 the two taxes use the same brackets, so the City’s tax equals the provincial one. That roughly doubles the tax compared with the same price across the border in Markham or Pickering, which charge only the provincial tax.
| Price | Ontario | City of Toronto | Total | First-time buyer, after rebates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $600,000 | $8,475 | $8,475 | $16,950 | $8,475 |
| $800,000 | $12,475 | $12,475 | $24,950 | $16,475 |
| $1,000,000 | $16,475 | $16,475 | $32,950 | $24,475 |
| $1,200,000 | $20,475 | $20,475 | $40,950 | $32,475 |
First-time buyers who have never owned a home anywhere in the world may qualify for rebates of up to $4,000 from Ontario and up to $4,475 from the City. Land transfer tax is paid on closing through your lawyer, so it has to be in the funds you bring to close; your mortgage doesn’t cover it.
These are estimates for a single-family home. The instant quote calculates both taxes and any rebate for your exact price, alongside the legal fee. How land transfer tax and closing costs add up
Why Wannes Law
A Toronto law firm that keeps you informed
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A licensed Ontario lawyer
Rosalie Wannes, licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, is responsible for your file from start to finish.
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Fees before you commit
Instant online quotes and published flat fees, so you know the cost before you retain us.
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Every step explained
Plain-language explanations of what happens, what you provide and what we handle, at every stage.
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Direct access
Reach your lawyer and law clerk directly by phone and email while your matter is underway.
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Sign in person or remotely
Meet at our Sheppard Ave E office in Toronto, or review documents by video and courier the originals.
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English, Armenian and Arabic
Talk through your matter in the language you are most comfortable with.
Before you firm up
What Scarborough buyers should raise early
Most problems are cheaper to solve while your conditions are still open. Send us the agreement as soon as it’s accepted.
Condos and condo townhouses
Scarborough has a large stock of condominium apartments and condo townhouses. The status certificate shows the reserve fund, any special assessment, lawsuits against the corporation and the rules you’ll live under. It needs to be reviewed inside your condition period. What we check in a status certificate
Homes with a basement apartment
If the listing mentions a basement unit or rental income, ask whether the unit is a legal second unit and whether a tenant will still be there on closing. A home that isn’t vacant on closing, or where you are taking on a tenant, is priced beyond the standard fee, and the agreement needs to say clearly what happens to the tenancy.
Buying and selling in the same neighbourhood
Moving within Scarborough often means your sale and purchase close close together. We act on both, and the quote prices them together. If the purchase closes first, ask your lender about bridge financing early; a bridge loan is priced beyond the standard fee.
Older homes
Many Scarborough bungalows and back-splits date from the 1950s to the 1970s. Additions, decks and garages built without permits can matter to your lender and insurer. Title insurance covers many of these risks; we explain what it does and doesn’t cover before you close.
How it works
A Scarborough purchase, start to finish
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Step 1: Send us the accepted offer
Ideally before conditions expire, with any amendments and, for a condo, the status certificate.
You provide
- Agreement of purchase and sale, amendments and waivers
- Status certificate, for a condo
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Step 2: See your costs before you commit
Your legal fee comes from the instant quote. Before signing you see the statement of adjustments, both land transfer taxes and the total you need to close.
The standard fee applies when we have the agreement and mortgage instructions at least five business days before closing.
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Step 3: Title, mortgage and insurance
We review the title and writ searches, arrange title insurance through Stewart Title and prepare your lender’s mortgage documents.
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Step 4: Sign on Sheppard Ave E or by video
Sign at our Toronto office, or review the documents with us by video while you sign on paper and courier the originals back.
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Step 5: Closing day
Final searches, electronic registration of the transfer and your mortgage, payment of the land transfer taxes, release of funds and your keys.
Fees
What it costs
Flat fees for reviews. For purchases, sales and refinances the instant quote calculates the legal fee from your price, before you retain us.
ServiceWhat's includedFee
Review of the full status certificate package, written lawyer's notes and recommendations, and a phone call with the lawyer to go through them. Complimentary if you complete the purchase with Wannes Law.
$250+ HST
Review of the pre-construction agreement, written lawyer's notes and recommendations, and a phone call with the lawyer to go through them.
$450+ HST
Purchase, sale or refinance
Calculated from the price or mortgage amount. The standard fee covers a residential single-family home on city services, vacant on closing, with one first mortgage.
B-lender mortgage
Added when the mortgage isn’t from one of the major banks listed in the quote.
+ $400 + HST
Not included: disbursements, the title insurance premium set by Stewart Title, and both land transfer taxes. What disbursements cover
Get your instant quoteTestimonials
Clients on how it went
Rosalie did an exemplary job representing us as our real estate lawyer. Her attention to detail in matters left us at ease during the process. She built a great rapport of trust with us and was very thorough every step of the way in all the legal jargon we were not familiar with. She is an affective communicator and attentive. She made the process extremely smooth down to the signing on closing day. If you're looking for someone trustworthy and knowledgeable to represent you, look no further because Wannes Law Professional Corporation is where it's at!
We recently retained Wannes Law to close a real estate transaction based on our semi-retired lawyer's recommendation. Rosalie was able to close this deal within 3 short days easily providing the highest quality service. She is professional, knowledgable, kind and everything else you are looking for in a lawyer. We hope to be working with Rosalie for many more years to come.
It was a pleasure working with Wannes Law, everything was seamless, we didn't have to move and everything was arranged for us. 2 days before closing Rosalie explained the process and documents, cleared any doubts that we had and on closing day we received all the documents in order.
Questions
Scarborough real estate questions
Where is your office in Scarborough?
Wannes Law is at 3319 Sheppard Ave E, Suite 103, Toronto, ON M1T 3K2. You can sign there, or review the documents with us by video while you sign on paper.
Do I pay Toronto land transfer tax on a home in Scarborough?
Yes. Scarborough is in the City of Toronto, so a purchase pays both Ontario’s land transfer tax and the City’s municipal land transfer tax. On a $800,000 home that’s about $12,475 each, roughly $24,950 in total, before any first-time buyer rebate.
How much does a real estate lawyer cost in Scarborough?
Our legal fee for a purchase, sale or refinance is calculated from the price and shown in the online quote before you retain us. Disbursements, title insurance and land transfer tax are separate; our fees guide explains each one.
Can you review a status certificate for a Scarborough condo?
Yes. The review is $250 + HST with written notes and a call, and it’s complimentary if you complete the purchase with us.
Do you act on homes outside Scarborough?
Yes. We act across Toronto, including North York, and across the GTA, including Markham, Richmond Hill, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Mississauga and Brampton.
Can I deal with you in Armenian or Arabic?
Yes. We serve clients in English, Armenian and Arabic.
When should I contact a lawyer when buying in Scarborough?
As soon as your offer is accepted, and before your conditions expire. For a condo, send the status certificate the day you receive it.
Guides
Guides for Scarborough buyers and sellers
Real Estate Lawyer Disbursements in Ontario: What Each One Costs
Real estate lawyer disbursements are third party costs that your lawyer pays to complete your transaction. The legal fee covers the firm's own work.…
Condo Status Certificate Review in Toronto: What to Check Before You Buy
A status certificate review by a real estate lawyer is one of the most important steps in any condo purchase in Ontario.
Related
Related pages
Here to help
Know your fee and both taxes before you buy.
Enter your price for an instant quote, or book a free 15-minute call with our Toronto office.
Prefer to talk now? Call (647) 707-7718 · Service in English, Armenian and Arabic