LawOnline Guides

Data & Trends

Original data stories drawn from the LawOnline directory itself, covering who Canada's lawyers are, where they work, and what they do. Every figure is measured from our own listings and dated, so you can see the profession the way the numbers show it rather than the way it is usually described.

Three people in business attire smile around a wooden table in a bright office while one of them signs a document. Data & Trends Do Lawyers Offer Free Consultations? What Firm Websites Say We read what 11,011 law firm websites say about fees. About one in five offer a free first meeting, and nearly half in personal injury. Here's what to expect. Woman at a home office desk comparing law firms on a laptop, with directory listings showing specialized and full-service firms. Data & Trends Is Your Lawyer a Generalist or a Specialist? The typical firm in our directory lists three practice areas, about a quarter list just one, and only one in ten range across seven or more. How to pick the kind you need. A group of five stern looking lawyers, men and women, stare intently across a conference table. Data & Trends Do Smaller Law Firms Have Better Google Ratings? The bigger the firm, the lower its Google rating tends to be. Solo firms average 4.55 stars; firms with 100 or more lawyers average 3.94. What that does and doesn't tell you. A diverse group of young lawyers at a desk in a Canadian law office. Data & Trends How Canada's Law Firms Describe Themselves Some firms tell you they are woman-owned, LGBTQ affirming, or accept legal aid. In our directory these signals are self-declared, which is exactly what makes them worth using. A colourful map of Canada, depicting each province in a different hue. Data & Trends More Than Half of Canada's Listed Law Firms Are in One Province Ontario holds 55 percent of the firms in our directory; the three territories hold 23 between them. The map of legal help is as lopsided as the map of where Canadians live. A female lawyer in a blue suit engaging in a handshake with a man in a burgundy shirt. Set in a bright office with a wooden table, potted plant, and organized shelves, it conveys a positive, collaborative mood ideal for business, meetings, or successful negotiations. Data & Trends What Canadian Law Firms Actually Do The most common service in our directory is not the courtroom. It is wills and estates, then real estate and business law. Here is the real map of what lawyers work on. A mobile phone screen displaying a search results with a perfect 5.0 star review. Data & Trends Why Almost Every Law Firm Has a 4.5-Star Rating Nearly two thirds of law firms in our directory sit at 4.5 stars or higher. When almost everyone is near the top, the rating barely sorts anyone. Here is what to read instead. A well-dressed man in a bright red turban leans against a railing inside an office building. Data & Trends After English and French, Punjabi Is the Language Canada's Lawyers Speak Beyond English and French, Punjabi is the language most often offered by lawyers in our directory, ahead of Hindi, Spanish, and Mandarin. The legal profession mirrors the immigration map. A well dressed male attorney adjusts the buttons on his suit Data & Trends Most Canadian Law Firms Are One Person In our directory, 54 percent of law firms are a single lawyer, and only 20 firms in the whole country have 100 or more. The image of Big Law is a rounding error. A group of five young lawyers, three male and two female, dressed in business attire with serious looks on their faces Data & Trends More Than Half of Canada's Listed Lawyers Were Called to the Bar Since 2010 The median lawyer in our directory was called to the bar in 2013, and more than half were called since 2010. Here is what the numbers show, and what they leave out. The front facade of Osgoode Hall in Toronto, Ontario, a late-Palladian style landmark building originally finished in 1832. Data & Trends Where Canada's Lawyers Went to Law School Osgoode Hall leads, but the surprise is Windsor, which outranks older and more selective schools. Here is the law school behind Canada's working lawyers.