Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Will This Cost My Client?

Fees are typically based on a per-hour rate, plus disbursements.
However, for lawyers with clients for whom cost is a particular concern, flat-free arrangements are also available.
As with legal fees generally, the total cost for research will depend on the number and nature of issues, the depth of research required, and other factors.
As a rough guideline only, simple case law searching usually costs in the neighbourhood of $200-300 per issue, including disbursements and GST.

How Soon Can I Have the Research Completed?

Speedy Turnaround

Average turnaround for retrieving specific cases, or cases on-point, is usually a day or two from when the research request was submitted.
Major memoranda are usually complete within one week to 10 days.
Rush jobs are also accepted at a nominal additional charge.

What Information Must Be Provided?

For most typical research assignments, a Canadian lawyer requesting legal research should provide the following:

A description of any facts that are relevant to the research (this is naturally left to the discretion of the lawyer, and may include pleadings, pre-trial conference memoranda, etc.).
A concise statement of the issue(s) to be researched.
Ideally, instructions should be sent on the lawyer’s firm letterhead by fax to 905-822-0501, or by email to rosemary@researchlawyer.ca with firm information included.

A deposit to cover initial disbursements and fees.
An indication of the deadline and maximum budget for the work (if any).
A cheque for the amount of the deposit, which should be sent by e-Transfer to rosemary@researchlawyer.ca, or by regular mail to:

Rosemary Bocska, Research Lawyer
1982 Rackus Crescent
Mississauga, ON
L5J 0A6

The lawyer requesting research services may be asked to sign a written retainer confirming the scope of the research and the rate charged.

Do I Get Copies of All Cases and Materials?

Research Package

Yes. Unless different arrangements are agreed upon in advance, the completed work product package includes:
- The detailed, fact-specific Memorandum of Law.
- Copies of all case law and secondary materials considered (i.e. text excerpts, scholarly articles, etc.).

The Memorandum is provided in Word format, unless requested otherwise.
The case law is provided in Word, RTF, HTML or PDF, depending on the source / data provider.
This allows portions of the completed research to be extracted for use in opinion letters.

Can I Get the Results by E-Mail?

Customized Delivery Options

Research results are sent by e-mail with attachments, unless requested otherwise.
However, upon request they can be sent by fax, in hardcopy by regular mail, or by pre-arranged courier.