Real Estate

Title Transfer

A title transfer (also called a transfer of title or change of ownership) involves a lawyer preparing and registering a transfer of land document to change who is on title to a property. Common reasons include adding or removing a spouse or partner, transferring to a family member, or restructuring ownership. This flat-fee package covers all legal work for a standard residential title transfer in Ontario.

Coordinated with all parties
Ontario

How Our Price Is Advertised — Law Society of Ontario, Rule 4.2-2.1

Real estate price advertising by lawyers in Ontario is governed by Rule 4.2-2.1 of the Law Society of Ontario's Rules of Professional Conduct. Under this Rule, a lawyer may advertise a fixed price for a residential real estate transaction only if the price covers all legal fees, and the advertisement makes clear that HST and certain permitted disbursements are not included. The permitted disbursements that may be charged in addition to the advertised price are: land transfer tax, government document registration fees, fees charged by government, Teranet fees, the cost of a condominium status certificate, payment for letters from creditors' lawyers regarding similar name execution searches, and any title insurance premium. Our advertised price of $500 + HST strictly complies with this Rule. You can review the full text of the Rule on the Law Society of Ontario's website.

Read Rule 4.2-2.1 on the LSO website

What Is Included

  • Review of existing title and transfer instructions
  • Title search and review
  • Preparation of the transfer of land document
  • Registration of the transfer on title
  • Preparation of any required affidavits (e.g. land transfer tax affidavit)
  • Reporting to all parties after closing

What Is Not Included

  • HST (charged on legal fees)
  • Land transfer tax (payable to the Province of Ontario — exemptions may apply)
  • Government document registration fees
  • Teranet fees
  • Title insurance premium (if applicable)
  • Fees charged by creditors' lawyers for similar name execution searches
  • Independent legal advice (ILA) for any party who requires it
  • Mortgage work (if a new or existing mortgage is involved, additional fees apply)

Who This Service Is For

Couples adding or removing a partner from title
Parents transferring property to an adult child
Family members restructuring ownership of a property
Anyone changing the registered ownership of a residential property

Information Required from You

  • 1Full legal names and addresses of all current and incoming owners
  • 2Property address and PIN
  • 3Reason for the transfer (used to assess land transfer tax implications)
  • 4Confirmation of any existing mortgages on title
  • 5Government-issued photo ID for all parties

Frequently Asked Questions

Important Limitations

  • The advertised price of $500 + HST is inclusive of all legal fees for the scope described, in accordance with Rule 4.2-2.1 of the Law Society of Ontario's Rules of Professional Conduct. HST and the permitted disbursements listed above are not included.
  • Permitted disbursements (government registration fees, Teranet fees, title insurance premium, similar name execution search fees) are in addition to the flat fee and will be itemized in your reporting letter.
  • Land transfer tax may be payable on a transfer even between family members. Certain exemptions exist (e.g. between spouses). The lawyer will review the applicable land transfer tax implications as part of this service.
  • If any party to the transfer requires independent legal advice (ILA), this is available for an additional fee. Please mention this when submitting your request.
  • If there is an existing mortgage on title and the lender's consent or a new mortgage is required as part of the transfer, additional fees will apply. Please disclose any existing mortgages when submitting your request.
  • Submitting a request does not create a lawyer-client relationship. A conflict check will be completed before any retainer is signed.

Fixed fee

$500

Plus HST & disbursements

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