LTB paralegal vs. self-representation
Paralegals charge $500–$2,000 per LTB matter. Sometimes that's worth it. Often it isn't. Here's how to decide.
What paralegals actually do for your case
A licensed Ontario paralegal at the LTB will typically:
- Review your N4 and L1 for technical errors
- Organize and label evidence
- Disclose to the tenant and LTB on time
- Appear at the hearing on your behalf (you may not need to attend)
- Negotiate payment plans with the tenant
- Argue legal points (defenses, counter-applications)
What they cost
- Flat-rate L1 (uncontested): $500–$900
- L1 with appearances: $1,000–$1,800
- Contested hearings, T6 defenses, complex arrears: $1,500–$3,000+
- Hourly rates: $150–$300/hr
On top of the LTB filing fee ($201) and any Sheriff enforcement fees ($350+).
When a paralegal is worth it
- Tenant has raised a T6 (maintenance) counter-application — you'll be cross-examined on disrepair claims
- Tenant alleges illegal rent increase, harassment, or human rights violations — these are legal arguments, not paperwork
- Multiple tenants, sublets, unauthorized occupants — who's actually a tenant matters
- You can't attend a hearing due to work or location
- Significant arrears ($10K+) where you want a payment plan negotiated
When you're probably overpaying
- Straightforward L1: tenant hasn't paid for 2–3 months, lease is clean, no defenses
- Tenant has already moved out and you just need an order for arrears
- Default hearings where the tenant doesn't show up
- You only need help with the paperwork, not the hearing itself
The real value gap
For most small landlords, the value isn't in the courtroom argument — it's in not screwing up the paperwork. An N4 with a $20 math error gets dismissed. Evidence disclosed 4 days before the hearing instead of 5 gets refused. A package without a ledger gets the adjudicator skeptical from minute one.
That's a $1,500 paralegal solving a $99 organization problem.
The middle option
Exhibit One handles the paperwork piece — the N4 and L1 review, the evidence package, the hearing-day checklist — for $99 per case. You keep the legal-argument money for the cases that actually need a paralegal.