Real Estate Law · Aurora & GTA
Your Property Deal. Closed Properly.
Residential and commercial real estate legal services — clear process, transparent pricing, no surprises on closing day.
In Ontario, a lawyer isn’t optional on a real estate transaction — it’s a legal requirement. The question is whether yours is simply processing paperwork, or actually protecting your interests. At Barbarian Law®, we do the latter.
Real estate is, for most people, the largest financial commitment they will ever make. A missed encumbrance, an unreviewed builder clause, or a poorly negotiated lease can cost far more than the legal fees you were trying to avoid. Our job is to read what others skim, flag what others miss, and close every file with precision — whether it’s a first home purchase in Aurora or a commercial acquisition across the GTA.
What we handle
We act for buyers, sellers, borrowers, and landlords on both sides of the residential and commercial spectrum. Every file is handled by a called Ontario lawyer with direct access — not a paralegal relay.
Residential purchase
Freehold, condominium, and new-build / pre-construction. Full APS review and title clearance.
Residential sale
Mortgage discharge, Statement of Adjustments, and trust accounting — funds in your account on closing day.
Refinance & discharge
Switching lenders, accessing equity, or discharging a mortgage outright. We coordinate directly with your lender.
Commercial purchase/sale
Office, retail, industrial, and mixed-use. Due diligence, PPSA searches, title insurance, and ancillary documents.
Commercial leasing
Lease drafting for landlords and lease review for tenants. Comprehensive, enforceable, and built for your position.
Title transfers
Adding or removing a spouse, family gifting, estate transfers, and corporate restructurings.
What closing actually involves
There is a common misconception that a real estate lawyer simply shows up on closing day to sign documents. In reality, the work begins the moment you retain us. We review your Agreement of Purchase and Sale in full — not to summarize it, but to understand it, identify risk, and advise you before you are bound. We conduct title searches to confirm ownership history and identify any liens, easements, or encumbrances that could affect your use of the property. We review title insurance coverage, liaise with your lender and opposing counsel, and prepare or review the Statement of Adjustments to ensure every dollar is accounted for.
On commercial files, the scope expands considerably: zoning compliance review, environmental report analysis where applicable, PPSA and corporate searches, and the drafting or negotiation of ancillary documents such as vendor take-back mortgages, assignment agreements, and assumption deeds.
On a sale, we manage the discharge of your existing mortgage, ensure clean title passes to the buyer, and confirm that net proceeds reach you accurately and promptly. Nothing about this is routine — and we don’t treat it that way.
Our fees
We publish our fees because transparency is a baseline, not a differentiator. All amounts are in Canadian dollars. HST and disbursements are additional unless otherwise noted.
Residential — purchase
| Service | Legal fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold purchaseCash (no mortgage) | $1,500 + HST | Conveyance fee only — title search, deed registration |
| Freehold purchaseWith mortgage |
$1,650 + HST
$1,500 conveyance + $150 mortgage
|
Includes title search, deed registration, and mortgage instruction fee |
| Condominium purchaseCash (no mortgage) | $1,500 + HST | Includes status certificate review |
| Condominium purchaseWith mortgage |
$1,650 + HST
$1,500 conveyance + $150 mortgage
|
Includes status certificate review and mortgage instruction fee |
| New build / pre-constructionContract review | $350 + HST | Builder APS review before signing — strongly recommended |
| New build / pre-constructionOccupancy closing | $1,250 + HST | Interim closing when you take possession before title transfers. No mortgage registers at this stage. |
| New build / pre-constructionFinal closing — with mortgage |
$1,400 + HST
$1,250 conveyance + $150 mortgage
|
Registration of title and mortgage on final closing date |
| Interprovincial closingOntario counsel acting | $500 + HST | Where the client is Ontario-based and we act as Ontario counsel on an out-of-province property |
Residential — sale, refinance & other
| Service | Legal fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sale | $1,500 + HST | Discharge coordination, trust accounting, proceeds to vendor |
| Mortgage refinance | $1,250 + HST | All-in fee — mortgage instruction work is included. Lender instructions required at least 7 business days prior to closing. |
| Mortgage discharge | $1,000 + HST | Stand-alone discharge of an existing mortgage |
| Title transfer | $1,000 + HST | Spousal additions/removals, family gifting, estate and corporate transfers |
Commercial
| Service | Legal fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase or sale (under $1M) | From $2,500 + HST | Due diligence, PPSA, title insurance, ancillary documents |
| Purchase or sale ($1M–$5M) | From $4,000 + HST | Quoted per file based on transaction complexity |
| Purchase or sale ($5M+) | Quoted per file | Contact us directly for a written estimate |
| Lease reviewActing for tenant | $750 + HST | Review and advice on an existing landlord-form lease |
| Lease draftingActing for landlord | From $1,500 + HST | Custom lease prepared from scratch; ancillary docs included where required |
What you’ll pay in disbursements — and why ours are lower
Every real estate closing involves disbursements — third-party costs your lawyer incurs on your behalf and passes through to you. These are not markups or profit centres; they are what it actually costs to register your deed, insure your title, search for encumbrances, and move your money. Most law firms in Ontario use the same two or three software platforms and pass those costs along without a second thought. We made a deliberate choice to use leaner software — and that saving goes directly to you.
The disbursements listed below reflect a standard residential purchase. Sales and refinances generally involve fewer disbursements — no deed registration on a sale, no title search on a straightforward refinance — and your written estimate will reflect the actual scope of your transaction.
Software fee
$50.85 (tax included)
Covers the real estate closing software platform used to manage your file.
Below the market standard — the saving is passed to you.
Deed registration
$84.23 (tax included)
Ontario government fee to register the transfer of title on closing. Fixed and non-negotiable.
Mortgage registration
$84.23 (tax included)
Applies on purchase or refinance where a new mortgage is registered on title.
Title insurance
Varies by property value
Protects against title defects, fraud, and survey issues. Required by most lenders and strongly recommended on every file.
Title search
$35.60 (tax included)
Searches the ownership and encumbrance history of the property prior to closing.
Execution search
$17.17 (tax included)
Confirms there are no outstanding writs of execution against the parties on title.
Law Society levy
~$65
Mandatory per-transaction levy payable to the Law Society of Ontario. Does not apply where title insurance is purchased — which is the case on most files.
Telus Assyst — Dye & Durham
$79.92 (tax included)
Processing fee for mortgage instructions received electronically through the Telus Assyst platform, payable to Dye & Durham. Applies where your lender transmits instructions through this system.
Payment processing
One method is used per transaction depending on lender and closing requirements. You will not be charged for all three.
Why Barbarian Law®
We are a boutique transactional firm. That means your file does not move through a volume pipeline — it is handled by a called Ontario lawyer who has read your documents, understands your transaction, and is reachable when questions come up. We are not the cheapest option available, and we do not position ourselves that way. We are the option you choose when the deal matters.
Our practice is built around real estate, corporate transactions, and wills and estates — areas where precision is not negotiable. We bring the same discipline to a $500,000 freehold purchase as we do to a multi-million dollar commercial acquisition. The file size changes; the standard does not.
Get started
Know your closing costs before you commit.
Send us your closing date, property type, and purchase price. We will provide a clear written quote — legal fee, estimated disbursements, and applicable taxes — within one business day.
Request a quote Contact usQuestions about your closing statement
What the individual line items are, where each one comes from, and when they do and don’t apply.
Why does a purchase with a mortgage cost more than a cash purchase?
Because they are two separate pieces of legal work. The conveyance transfers title into your name; the mortgage means receiving your lender’s instructions, preparing the security, and registering the charge. A cash purchase involves only the first, at $1,500 + HST. A financed purchase involves both, at $1,650 + HST — the $1,500 conveyance plus a $150 mortgage fee. If any funds are coming from a lender, including a credit union or a private mortgagee, the mortgage fee applies.
What disbursements will I actually pay on a residential purchase in Ontario?
On a standard purchase with one mortgage: deed registration $84.23, mortgage registration $84.23, the closing software fee $50.85, title search $35.60, and an execution search $17.17 — all tax included. Title insurance is additional and varies with the property’s value. Where your lender transmits instructions through Telus Assyst, a $79.92 processing fee applies. One funds-transfer charge applies depending on method. Land transfer tax is separate again and depends on price and municipality.
Why are Barbarian Law’s disbursements lower than other firms’?
Most of a disbursement bill is fixed — government registration charges are set by Ontario and identical everywhere. The part that varies is the closing software the firm runs on. Most Ontario firms use the same two or three platforms and pass the cost through without questioning it. We chose a leaner platform, which is why our software fee is $50.85 rather than the market standard, and that difference goes to you rather than to the firm. Disbursements are passed through at cost; they are not a profit centre.
Do I have to pay the Law Society of Ontario levy?
Usually not. The levy is a mandatory per-transaction charge of roughly $65 payable to the Law Society of Ontario — but it does not apply where title insurance is purchased on the transaction, which is the case on the large majority of files. It appears on this list so the schedule is complete, not because most buyers pay it. If your file is one of the rare ones closing without title insurance, it will show on your statement and we will tell you before closing.
Are disbursements different on a sale or a refinance than on a purchase?
Yes, and they are lower. The disbursement list published here reflects a standard residential purchase. On a sale there is no deed registration and no mortgage registration, because you are not taking title or registering new financing. On a straightforward refinance there is generally no title search and no deed registration. In both cases the total is smaller, and your written estimate reflects the actual scope of your transaction rather than a generic list.
What is the Telus Assyst or Dye & Durham charge on my closing statement?
Telus Assyst is the electronic platform many lenders use to transmit mortgage instructions to a lawyer. Where your lender uses it, a processing fee of $79.92 (tax included) is payable to Dye & Durham and passed through to you at cost. It is the lender’s choice of system, not the firm’s, and it applies only where instructions arrive that way — it is not charged on cash purchases.
How much does it cost to send closing funds?
It depends on the method, and only one method is used per transaction — you are not charged for all three. A bank draft is $10, a certified cheque is $20, and a wire transfer is $50. Which one applies depends on your lender’s requirements and the closing timeline; wires are typically used where funds must move same-day.
When does a rush fee apply on a real estate closing?
On residential files received with fewer than 5 business days to the closing date. Short timelines compress title searching, requisitions, and lender coordination into a window that leaves no room for problems to surface and be fixed. You will always be told before any rush fee is applied — it is never added silently to a final invoice.
This post is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Fees listed are standard rates and may vary based on the complexity of the file. Disbursement estimates are approximate and subject to change based on lender requirements and transaction specifics. For advice specific to your transaction, please contact Barbarian Law® directly. Barbarian Law® is a registered trademark of Karim Eshqoor Law Professional Corporation (TMA 1,359,734).
