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Legal fees should not be a secret. We provide cost-effective services. FEES Hourly Rates Sage Legal Solutions bills according on who is working on your matter. Matters such as Litigation and Employment are charged at $300/hour for most of our Lawyers. For Smalls Claims, Landlord Tenant Board matters, and Human Rights Tribunals, the rate is $250/hour for most of our Lawyers. Legal services performed by junior lawyers, students, paralegal students, and clerks are charged at a lesser rate which is specified in your retainer agreement. Deposit Prior to beginning work, a $3,000 to $5,000 retainer is due, depending on the complexity of your case. This is held in trust, and once work begins on your case, you are billed periodically with the funds coming from your retainer deposit. Top-ups are due when required. After your case is completed, any funds remaining in trust will be returned to you. Additional Information We offer unbundled legal services, or full service. In those cases, the retainer deposit may be lower. *Disbursements, third-party charges and taxes (HST) will be charged in addition to our fees. *Currently, we are not providing contingency or pro bono fee arrangements. Applicable rate to be confirmed during consultation.

Small Claims, Civil Litigation, Human Rights, Indigenous Law, Labour and Employment. Practice Areas include: Human Rights Civil Litigation Litigation Small Claims Indigenous and Aboriginal Tribunals Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Regulatory Tribunals Ontario Superior Court of Justice Ontario Divisional Court Practice Areas: Practice Areas SERVICES Sage Legal Solutions handles cases including Small Claims, Civil Litigation, Landlord and Tenant Board, and Employment. Your case may pertain to multiple areas of the law - just ask us if we can help. We can assist with commissioning documents and notarizing by appointment only, please. CIVIL LITIGATION You may need assistance in seeking compensation for the harm you have suffered. We have experience in: contracts; civil matters; civil disputes; appeals. We can help with animal ownership legal matters, breach of breeding agreements, and breeding contracts. SMALL CLAIMS You may need assistance in seeking recovery of up to $50,000. We have experience in: debt collection; contractual disputes; property damage claims; unpaid loans; services that were paid for but not performed. LANDLORD AND TENANT BOARD MATTERS We can assist with Landlord and Tenant Board ("LTB") matters. The LTB is is where you go for most matters between the Landlord and Tenant, rather than a "Court". If you are appealing a matter from the LTB, you may need to take the appeal to the Divisional Court. Our lawyers have experience with LTB appeals. EMPLOYMENT Employment can range from workplace grievances, to termination package negotiations, to mediation. We have advocated for the employee, and employer, in various cases. We have experience with: labour law; employment advice; wrongful termination; advice for employees and employers; grievance, arbitration, mediation assistance; human rights matters; and, employment contracts. HUMAN RIGHTS AND MORE... We are passionate about protecting your human rights. We have experience in: Human Rights Tribunals; harassment cases; discrimination cases; civil litigation. We can assist with Tribunals, Regulatory proceedings, and more, such as: Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario ("HRTO") Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ("CHRT") Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the “OCSWSSW”) Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario ("IPC") COMMISSIONING AND NOTARIZING You may need an affidavit drafted or commissioned, or documents notarized. Our St. Catharines and Welland offices can provide Commissioning and Notary services by appointment. Contact us for pricing via email to: contact@sagelegalsolutions.ca An affidavit is a written statement you make about something. Sometimes people need one drafted for various reasons - we can help.

Sage Legal Solutions is in St. Catharines, Ontario and we can serve clients all over Ontario. Contact us by email, phone, or mail. CONTACT Request a Consult contact@sagelegalsolutions.ca 289-270-7243 Find us on Facebook LOCATIONS We routinely serve the following areas: Niagara Region: St. Catharines, Welland, Niagara Falls, Wainfleet, Port Colborne, Fort Erie, Hamilton Thunder Bay Region: Thunder Bay, Northern Ontario Many courts and tribunals hold virtual proceedings, so we are able to assist clients located throughout Ontario. ST. CATHARINES THUNDER BAY WELLAND 21 Duke Street St. Catharines, Ontario L2R 5W1 289-270-7243 140 E Main Street, Suite #202 Welland, Ontario L3B 3W6 289-270-7243 231 Red River Road, Suite #104 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 1A7 289-270-7243 OFFICE HOURS Monday to Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We can accommodate clients' schedules with appointments outside of these hours. We are closed all statutory Holidays. Please do not send confidential information or details about your case by email. Do not forward any documents to us. We will not review such information nor can we provide advice until we have accepted you as a client. Any email correspondence to contact the firm is informational only. You will not be considered a client of the firm until we have agreed to act for you in accordance with our usual policies for accepting clients. The content of this website is provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice. No action with regards to your particular matter should be taken until you have first sought full legal or professional advice from a lawyer fully retained to act on your behalf.

This is a no-cost, 15 minute consultation with a Lawyer to see if we are a good fit for you. Please request either a telephone or a video call (Zoom).

We are incredibly proud to share that our office has won Diamond in the St. Catharine's Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Lawyer, Best Law Firm, and Best Legal Services Winning 1 st  place in three separate categories is special because these Local Readers’ Choice Awards come directly from you—the people who trust us with your legal matters, refer your friends and family, and support our work, day after day. Your votes tell us that the effort we put into every file, every client interaction, and every late night is truly making a difference. This recognition means more to us than words can express—not just as legal professionals, but as a small, female-owned business working hard to make a positive impact in our community. This kind of recognition matters: it builds trust, raises visibility, and helps us stand out in a competitive industry where reputation is everything. It reassures new clients that when they walk through our doors, they’re choosing a team the community believes in.  It also motivates us to keep raising the bar in the legal services we provide and most importantly, it reminds us that the care, attention, and advocacy we put into every file truly makes a difference. Thank you for believing in us, supporting our team , and helping our small business thrive. We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve you—and we look forward to another year of standing firmly in your corner! ---Natalie Posala, Founding Lawyer

There are some upcoming changes to the Small Claims Court procedures coming into effect on October 1, 2025. For those unfamiliar with civil procedure, Small Claims Court is a branch of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The first step in any civil matter is to determine which court has jurisdiction. Currently, there are 3 ways to proceed through the court system; simplified procedure for claims up to $200,000; regular procedure for claims of any amount – there is no maximum threshold; and Small Claims Court for monetary claims under $35,000. Small Claims Court is often a more appealing choice to navigate the legal system due to the quicker, simpler, and more affordable process. Currently, the monetary limit an individual can claim in Small Claims Court is $35,000.00, however, as of October 1, 2025, the amendment Ontario Regulation 626/00  increases that limit to $50,000. What does this mean for claimants? Under the old Rules, the courts would see many plaintiffs often choosing to write off thousands of dollars in damages in order for their matter to be heard in Small Claims Court. The new change allows for a larger threshold, and less loss to claimants. The changes are also being implemented to keep up with today’s economy, and to improve access to justice for individuals, all while easing the strain of the higher courts. The last increase to the claim limit was made in 2020 when the limit increased from $25,000 to the current $35,000.

In Canada, judges hold an essential role as impartial decision makers and are entrusted to apply the law fairly and consistently. Their authority carries immense weight on the court system and respecting their decisions is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the court system. Though everyone may not always agree with a judge’s decision, it is important to remember that judges are bound by legal principles and precedents. However, there are rare occasions where a judicial decision may seem unusual. One such instance occurred in R. v. Leclaire, 2025 ONSC 4203 . In this matter, the Respondent plead guilty to impaired driving for the fifth time. This time the Respondent was impaired by drug, namely fentanyl (amongst other drugs), and was driving while under a 2-year driving prohibition. The Crown made it clear that they would be filing a Notice of Application for Increased Penalty, and that by statute the Respondent would need to serve 4 months of jail time, but Justice Jalali had a different plan: [16]           Her Honour then asked the Crown: “ Mr. Jackson what would you do if I sentenced the gentleman to four months conditional anyways?” [17]           The Crown responded, “That is not permitted by statute”. [18]           Her Honour replied:  “I know, but what if I do?”                     The Crown replied: “I will have to seek advice from my management”.   Despite the mandatory minimum sentence, Justice Jalali, who was appointed in October 2018, imposed a four-month conditional sentence with house arrest, citing mitigating factors. While a judge must consider mitigating factors in sentencing, the penalty she imposed disregarded the statute and ultimately undermined the administration of justice. The matter was brought back before the appellate court where the appellate judge set aside Justice Jalali’s sentence. The Respondent was instead sentenced to four months jail. Justice Jalali’s decision not only failed to apply the law correctly but also resulted in a waste of the court’s time and resources sparking quite the backlash on social media platforms and online forums from civilians voicing their opinions and discontentment.   Disclaimer: The content shared here is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice.