Lien strategy consultation
1-hour review of your lien options
What is included
- A review of your contract, invoices and key dates
- An explanation of how Ontario's lien deadlines apply to your project
- A look at your options, such as a lien, a demand letter or a Small Claims Court claim within its limit
- A note of which steps a licensed paralegal can take and which need a lawyer
What is not included
- Land registry fees and other disbursements
- Starting or running the court action to perfect or enforce the lien, which needs a lawyer
- Liens on projects outside Ontario, which need someone permitted to practise in that province
- Construction adjudication, holdback or trust claims
- Collecting the debt after the lien is registered
Who this service is for
- Unpaid contractors, subcontractors and suppliers deciding what to do
- Owners who received a lien and want to understand it
Information to have ready
- 1Your contract, change orders and invoices
- 2Key dates for the project
- 3Any lien, notice or certificate already registered or published
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost?
The fee is $175 plus 13% HST ($197.75 in all) for the work described on this page. Court, tribunal or government fees and other disbursements are extra. We confirm the scope and the fee in a written retainer agreement before any work starts.
What happens when I check out?
You book a time for your intake call, then save a card on Stripe's secure page. Nothing is charged today: the card is only charged later, for an invoice for work already done, as your retainer agreement sets out. A licensed paralegal confirms the details, checks for conflicts of interest and, if we can act for you, sends the retainer agreement. Fees paid before the work is done are held in our trust account.
Is a lien my only option?
No. Depending on the amount and the facts, a demand letter or a Small Claims Court claim of up to $50,000 may also be options.
Should I wait before registering a lien?
Waiting can cost you the lien, because the deadlines run from set dates. We look at your dates first.
General information only, not legal advice. NEO Legal Services Professional Corporation is a licensed paralegal firm regulated by the Law Society of Ontario.
Important limitations
- Missing a lien deadline usually means losing the lien, though other claims for payment may remain
- No outcome or payment can be guaranteed
- The service is limited to Ontario and to what a licensed paralegal is permitted to do
- Registering a construction lien, and the court action that perfects and enforces it, may be work only a lawyer may do; before any work starts we confirm which steps a licensed paralegal is permitted to take on your Ontario lien, and refer the rest, and any lien outside Ontario, to a lawyer or someone permitted to practise there.
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