Occasional Practice Permit for Lawyers from the Territories (and certain Quebec lawyers)
Purpose
Lawyers from the Northwest Territories, Yukon or Nunavut who wish to practise law in Ontario on an occasional basis and who are entitled to practise law in their home jurisdiction may apply for an Occasional Practice Permit under Part VII of By-Law 4.
The Occasional Practice Permit allows you to practise law in Ontario on not more than 10 matters annually. The Occasional Practice Permit expires on December 31 and may be renewed each year.
Quebec lawyers who qualified for membership in the Barreau du Québec under the Entente entre le Québec et la France en matière de reconnaissance mutuelle des qualifications professionnelles may also apply for an Occasional Practice Permit.
UPDATE: All other Quebec lawyers (not licensed under an agreement with France) should apply for a Temporary Practice Permit and not an Occasional Practice Permit.
Who Can Apply
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Lawyers licensed in the Northwest Territories, Yukon or Nunavut
-
Quebec lawyers who qualified for membership in the Barreau du Québec under the Entente entre le Québec et la France en matière de reconnaissance mutuelle des qualifications professionnelles
Applicants must remain entitled to practise law in their home jurisdiction and have appropriate insurance, as applicable, to practise law in Ontario.
Application Process
1. Review the application process and timing
You must submit the most recent version of the application form (see below). Previous versions will not be accepted.
It may take Compliance Services up to 15 business days from receipt of all documents to process your application. We will notify you if we have any questions.
2. Provide supporting documents as set out in the application form
The application form and supporting documents must be dated within 30 days of the day you submit them.
Certificate(s) of Standing must be sent to the Law Society directly from the regulatory body. Your Certificate of Standing must not be older than 60 days when the application is ready to be approved by Compliance Services.
We will contact you if documents are missing or need to be updated.
3. Contact Compliance Services to confirm you are eligible for the permit and to pay the application fee
You can contact Compliance Services by calling 416-947-3315 or 1-800-668-7380 and asking to be transferred, or emailing compliance@lso.ca. After we confirm you are eligible for the Occasional Practice Permit, we will send you a link to pay the application fee online through the Law Society Store.
The Law Society must receive your non-refundable application fee before we will start processing the permit application.
| Item |
Amount |
| Application fee |
$100.00 |
| HST (#121712863) |
$13.00 |
| Total |
$113.00 |
You must submit payment or proof of payment with your permit application.
4. Send us your complete application by email or mail
Send by email to: compliance@lso.ca
Send by mail to:
Compliance Services
Law Society of Ontario
Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen St W
Toronto, Ontario M5H 2N6
Be sure to include:
- Completed application form
- Required supporting documents as set out in the application form
- Proof of payment (or certified cheque or money order if you cannot pay online)
We will contact you if anything is missing or if we have any questions.
Application Forms and Additional Documents
Questions
All questions about the Occasional Practice Permit should be directed to Compliance Services by contacting the Law Society at (416) 947-3315 (toll-free within Ontario 1-800-668-7380 ext. 3315) and asking to be transferred, or by email at compliance@lso.ca.
Accessibility
The Law Society of Ontario is committed to ensuring that our websites and web applications are accessible for people with disabilities. We have also made efforts to make Law Society documents accessible to everyone. If you need any of our documents or forms in an alternate format that is accessible to you, please contact the department listed on our website as responsible for the document/form or email lawsociety@lso.ca with details about what document/form you need.