Law Society fee increase necessary to support regulatory mandate

21 October 2005

After reducing membership fees 19% over the last
four years, the Law Society of Upper Canada has incorporated a 4.7% annual fee
increase in the 2006 budget to invest in critical regulatory programs and to
support library services.
Today the Law Society's governing body approved next year's budget, in
which Ontario lawyers will see their annual fees increase by $68 per member to
$1,509 for 2006.
Students at law will see their tuition fees decrease by $1,800 from
$4,400 to $2,600. The 2006 budget reflects the full impact of the first year
of implementation of the new Licensing Process. The total cost of the new
process is budgeted at $6.6 million, a reduction of $2.4 million from the cost
of the former Bar Admission Course. While ensuring that new lawyers continue
to meet high standards of learning and competence, the new process will enable
candidates to be called to the Ontario Bar and practise law two months sooner.
All of these savings have been passed on to students through the reduction in
tuition fees.
"The need for an increase is primarily as a result of additional
resources for the Law Society's regulatory division," says Malcolm Heins, Law
Society Chief Executive Officer.

- For the past several years, the growing number of mortgage fraud
investigations has meant escalating costs for the Law Society. In
2005, an additional $1,000,000 was added to the Professional
Regulation Division budget and another $300,000 has been allocated
in 2006. Close to one-third of the Law Society's overall budget is
dedicated to professional regulation activities.

- The Law Society began implementing a case management system this year
to more effectively manage the complaints process -- improving the
timeliness and transparency of the process. The 2006 budget dedicates
funds for the development and expansion of this system to aid in the
complaints intake function.

Annual Fee Breakdown

The 2006 annual fee of $1,509 breaks down as follows:
- General Membership fee increase of $55 - from $960 to $1,015
- County Law Library levy increase of $13 from $206 to $219
- Compensation Fund remains unchanged at $200
- Capital and Technology levy remains unchanged at $75

The General Membership fee funds the Law Society's operations,
particularly its core functions -- professional regulation, and professional
development and competence. Budgets for other operational areas are virtually
unchanged from 2005.

The Law Society of Upper Canada exists to govern the legal profession in
the public interest by ensuring that the people of Ontario are served by
lawyers who meet high standards of learning, competence and professional
conduct, and upholding the independence, integrity and honour of the legal
profession; for the purpose of advancing the cause of justice and the rule of
law.
More information is available on the Law Society's Web site at
www.lsuc.on.ca.

For further information: contact: Lisa Hall, (416) 947-7625,
lhall@lsuc.on.ca or Lucy Rybka, (416) 947-7619, lrybka@lsuc.on.ca.;
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