Registration Information for Paralegal Candidates Entering the 2023-24 Licensing Cycle
(Revised January 2023)
Welcome to the Paralegal Licensing Process
This section provides information for applicants who have already submitted both parts of the application to the Licensing and Accreditation Department. It contains general information about the next steps in the Paralegal Licensing Process including the Paralegal Licensing Examination, required payments and obtaining the study materials. You must read this information thoroughly along with the Licensing Process Policies, Licensing Examination Deadlines and Dates and Rules and Protocol available online. Please note that deadlines refer to business days, not calendar days, unless otherwise noted.
Please bookmark and review the Dates to Remember, Licensing Examination, Licensing Process Policies, and Rules and Protocol information available online and refer to your invoices for specific fee payment deadline information.
A. Communication with the Law Society
B. Fees and Payment
C. Study Materials and the Candidate Photo Identification Card
D. Paralegal Licensing Examination
E. Good Character Requirement
F. Accommodations
G. Licensing
H. Contacting the Law Society
A. Communication with the Law Society
Your online account is the primary means of communicating with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) from the time you submit your application until you become licensed to provide legal services.
You are strongly advised to log in to your online account at least once or twice a week to review information from the Law Society regarding the licensing process. Fee invoices and receipts, information on the licensing examination, examination results, access to the digital study materials and other licensing requirements are among the many critical and time-sensitive messages sent through your online account. Candidates should note that when an online account message is sent to many candidates, it is sent in batches and some candidates may receive their message before others.
You can communicate with Licensing and Accreditation staff through your online account. Replies are typically provided within several business days of receipt, except during peak periods when the response time may be longer. Your username and password must be kept confidential as it is unique to you. Using your online account, you can update your address, check your account balance, and pay your fees by the applicable deadline. Note that when a payment deadline has passed, you are not able to make payment online and must defer to a later sitting. It is critical that you ensure the contact information in your online account (mailing address, telephone number, email address, etc.) is always kept up to date.
You will find your personal and confidential candidate identification number in your online account. You must reference this number when corresponding with the Law Society.
Please ensure that your candidate identification number, username and password are kept confidential at all times.
B. Fees and Payment
If you applied by the December application deadline and submitted all your required supporting documents, information regarding your fees and invoices will be posted in your online account the following February. Please also review the “Fees and Forms” page, which includes the Fees Schedule and important information on available payment methods and options.
You will be sent a separate invoice for each item billed. Each invoice will include a deadline. Please submit payment online by the applicable deadline with a valid credit card or pay by enrolling in an available Monthly Payment Plan by the applicable enrolment deadline. Please check your account and invoices regularly to ensure you pay each invoice by the appropriate deadline. Note that when a payment deadline has passed, you are not able to make payment online and must defer to a later sitting. If your invoice indicates an issue date that is the same as the due date, payment is due immediately upon receipt. Further deadline information is posted on the Dates to Remember page and the Licensing Examination Deadlines and Dates page .
The fee for the Paralegal Licensing Examination includes one sitting of the licensing examination. The licensing examination study material fee includes a set of study materials in digital format and the Law Society candidate photo identification card.
Payments received by the Law Society are normally applied to a candidate’s balance within 48 hours of payment (except for peak periods). It is strongly recommended that candidates make payment before the payment deadline to avoid delays in processing. Note that in addition to the fees and Statement of Field Placement you submit, all final transcripts must be received by the Law Society from your educational institution prior to the examination registration deadline to be eligible to write the examination.
Monthly Payment Plan
You may select to pay your licensing examination fee in accordance with the Law Society's Monthly Payment Plans. The Monthly Payment Plan section under "Fees and Forms" outlines details of the available payment plans. A non-refundable administrative fee is applicable for this service and is payable upon enrolment in the plan. Enrollment deadlines to enrol in a plan are listed on the Dates to Remember page. Information on how to enrol in this plan will be available in February of each year. Please refer to the Candidate Supports page for all financial assistance and payment plan information available.
Please carefully review the payment plan selected so that you are aware of when the final payment is to be made, after which point you may be eligible for licensing.
If you select this payment option, all outstanding fees must be paid in full before you are licensed.
C. Study Materials and the Candidate Photo Identification Card
Study materials will be available after the posted distribution date, provided the study material invoice is paid by the applicable deadline. You access the materials digitally in your online account. You are expected to download and print the study materials. No digital access to study materials is permitted in the Testing Area and as such, candidates are required to print the materials and bring them to the Testing Area.
Distribution dates and times are posted on the Dates to Remember page for each licensing cycle.
Please see the Study Materials page for more information.
All candidates will receive a candidate photo identification card several weeks before the examination sitting. The card will be mailed to the address on file with the Law Society. You must ensure the most current address information is on file so that your card is sent and received before your examination sitting.
This card must be presented at any licensing examination.
It is important you keep this card in a secure place and inform the Law Society immediately if you suspect it has been lost or stolen. Lost or stolen Law Society photo identification cards must be replaced by contacting Licensing and Accreditation staff at the Law Society and a replacement fee of $15 (plus applicable taxes) will be charged.
Each card has an expiry date. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they present the card on the day when their licensing examinations occur. Expired cards may be replaced free of charge, upon request. Requests to re-issue expired cards must be received in writing at least three weeks prior to the examination window.
Online Access
Once the study material fee is paid in full, you will be provided with instructions on how to access the materials through your online account. Please see the Dates to Remember page for information on the release date.
Study materials will be available by logging into your online account and clicking on “Study Materials” on the first date of distribution. Candidates are expected to download and print the study materials. Note that candidates will be required to bring a printed copy of the study materials to the Testing Area to reference during their examination. No digital access to the materials is permitted during the examination.
D. Paralegal Licensing Examination
You must successfully complete the Paralegal Licensing Examination as part of your licensing requirements. This exam is an open-book, self-study, multiple choice examination. Candidates are expected to download and print the study materials for reference during the examination. No digital access to the materials is permitted during the examination.
Preparation for the licensing examination is through self-study of the licensing examination study materials provided by the Law Society once the material fee is paid and materials have been released. As the examination is open book, you will be permitted to mark up your printed study materials and are expected to bring them to the Testing Area.
You must ensure you submit all required documents and fees, by the licensing examination registration deadline to ensure you are registered for the examination. You are reminded to diarize that a final transcript must be sent directly from your institution to the Law Society and the Statement of Field Placement Form must be sent by you to the Law Society as part of your registration requirement.
The Paralegal Licensing Examinations are typically scheduled in the summer, fall and winter of each licensing cycle. Please see the detailed information regarding the examination on the Licensing Examination pages of the website, including specific information on dates, deadlines, rules and protocols, instructions and detailed descriptions of the entry-level competencies tested on the licensing examination.
Each candidate is required to present a valid Law Society photo identification card at any sitting of the licensing examination. All examination and study material fees billed to your account must be paid in full to write the licensing examination.
Your licensing examination result will be sent to your Law Society online account approximately 8 weeks after your examination date. If you are unsuccessful, you will be permitted to register, pay for and rewrite a licensing examination within the same licensing year for one of the other scheduled sittings. If you are rewriting in a different licensing year, you will be invoiced and must pay for a revised set of study materials in addition to the examination re-write fee.
E. Good Character Requirement
The Law Society Act requires that an applicant for admission as a licensee of the Law Society of Ontario be of good character. This is an ongoing requirement for applicants throughout their licensing term.
After applying, applicants must immediately notify the Licensing and Accreditation Department in writing if their answers to any of the good character questions have changed at any time during their licensing term. A Good Character Amendment Form is available online if a change to this section is needed. For your good character information and answers to be reviewed, you must first ensure you complete the application process.
Please note that you cannot be licensed until your good character status is clear. More information is available online at the Good Character section of the website.
F. Accommodation
Candidates may request accommodation in the licensing process based on a ground listed in the Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19. For details, see the Law Society’s Accommodations webpage.
Candidates entering the licensing process who are requesting accommodation for a licensing examination must submit the accommodation request forms and supporting documentation by email directly to the Examination Administration department at the time of application to the licensing process.
Forms, submission requirements and further information about accommodation request deadlines and the approval process are available on the Accommodations webpage. Please address all accommodation-related enquiries and submissions to examinationaccommodation@lso.ca.
G. Licensing
To meet the requirements for licensure in Ontario, candidates must successfully complete all requirements of the Paralegal Licensing Process, be of good character, submit all required documentation and pay any outstanding fees by the prescribed deadlines.
Information on the procedure and cost for obtaining a paralegal licence, relevant dates and timelines will be sent to candidates through their online account as soon as they receive a "Pass" result on the licensing examination. The precise due date for the payment of the fee for licensing will be communicated to candidates once they have passed their licensing examination. All fees are subject to change.
H. Contacting the Law Society
The office is open between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The address is 130 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M5H 2N6.
The office is located on a restricted floor, without public access. Staff may be working remotely regularly, and we encourage candidates to send any inquiries via their Law Society account. They may also call 416-947-3315 to speak to staff regarding the Paralegal Licensing Process. Please note the office receives a high volume of calls in the weeks leading up to the registration and payment deadlines.
Note that staff are not available by phone between the lunch hour of 1-2 pm daily.