Special assessment approved for 2027

On September 25, 2026, Law Society Benchers made the decision to implement a 2027 special assessment of $210 per practicing lawyer in order to recover the Law Society’s share of transition costs (projected to December 2026) imposed by the new Legal Professions Act.

Transition costs are borne by the Law Society and the Society of Notaries Public. The cost to fulfill our legal obligations to transition to a single legal regulator under the new Act is expected to be $3.3 million by the end of 2026, and another $2.1 million is projected for 2027.

Transition costs include:

Costs initiated by the transitional board and/or transitional Indigenous council, which include meeting fees and travel costs for the transitional board and transitional Indigenous council, project director consulting costs, other consulting costs (recruiting and communications), Indigenous advisors, and computer software costs.
Consulting costs to develop and implement the operational transition workplan and seconded staff resources needed to develop the new rules and code for the transitional board, support the work of the advisory committee and implement the operational workplan.

Transition costs incurred and projected as a result of the Act is as follows:

Actual costs to December 31, 2025: $1,363,672 ($88 per lawyer)
Projected costs for 2026: $1,915,750 ($122 per lawyer)
Projected costs for 2027: $2,138,913 ($135 per lawyer)
Total projected costs to date: $5,418,335 ($345 per lawyer)

The General Fund reserve policy is to hold three-to-six months of operating costs in net asset reserves to fund unexpected costs and one-time projects. As provided in the 2027 Budget Report, in the absence of a special assessment, the Law Society net asset reserves could be drawn down to nil over the next three years, leaving the Law Society with no funds for unexpected costs.

Implementing a special assessment will replenish net asset reserves and allow for planned one-time project costs and maintain funds in net asset reserves for emergency purposes. Full recovery of anticipated transition costs will be funded by a 2027 special assessment of $210 per practicing lawyer (due November 30, 2026) and a 2028 special assessment of $135 per practicing lawyer (due November 30, 2027).

The Law Society's annual budgeting and fee-setting process, led by the Finance and Audit Committee, begins each spring and culminates in a Bencher decision in September for the following fiscal year.