Review your agreement of purchase and sale
Ideally before you sign or while conditions are still open. We explain the terms, the closing date, what is included and any conditions, and flag anything unusual.
From signed offer to keys in hand.
Shaikh Law Firm acts for buyers of houses, condos and townhomes across Ontario. We review your agreement, search title, work with your lender, arrange title insurance, register the transfer and release the keys to you on closing day.
Head office in Mississauga, with offices in downtown Toronto and Brampton.
For a typical Ontario home purchase, your lawyer handles the legal requirements for transferring title and registering your mortgage.
A lawyer also protects you before closing: checking that the seller can give clear title, that there are no unpaid taxes, work orders or liens that would become your problem, and that the money is handled through a trust account.
Ideally before you sign or while conditions are still open. We explain the terms, the closing date, what is included and any conditions, and flag anything unusual.
Title, executions, realty tax status, utility and building or zoning searches as needed, so problems surface before closing, not after.
For resale condos, we review the status certificate for fees, reserve fund, special assessments, legal actions and rules that affect you.
We receive your lender’s instructions, prepare the mortgage documents, meet with you to sign and request the mortgage funds.
We arrange a title insurance policy for you and your lender and explain what it does and does not cover.
We review the seller’s statement of adjustments, which credits or charges property taxes, condo fees and other items paid ahead, so you pay the right amount on closing.
We calculate land transfer tax, apply any first-time home buyer rebate you qualify for, and pay it on registration.
We register the transfer and your mortgage, send the funds to the seller’s lawyer and release the keys to you.
You receive a reporting letter with your registered documents, title insurance policy and a final account of the funds.
Buying your first home brings a few extra steps, and a few savings.
We confirm whether you qualify and apply the rebate at closing. Estimate your tax with our land transfer tax calculator.
Ontario land transfer tax refund: first-time buyers may get a refund of up to $4,000.
Toronto municipal land transfer tax rebate: buying in Toronto adds a second land transfer tax, with a separate first-time buyer rebate of up to $4,475.
Full walk-through: our closing process guide.
Our buyer quote lists our legal fee plus HST, the disbursements (registration, searches, title insurance) and land transfer tax separately, so you can see the full amount before closing.
See our fees for buying a house · Estimate your total with the closing costs calculator.
Yes, in practice. The transfer and mortgage are registered electronically by a lawyer, and lenders require a lawyer to protect their mortgage.
As early as possible: ideally before you sign the agreement of purchase and sale, and no later than the day your offer is accepted.
Reviews the agreement, searches title, deals with your lender, arranges title insurance, checks the statement of adjustments, calculates land transfer tax, registers the transfer and releases the keys.
A summary from the seller’s lawyer that credits or charges items like property taxes and condo fees paid ahead, so the final amount you pay on closing is correct.
Title insurance is not mandatory in Ontario, but your lender may require it. We explain the available coverage, exclusions and lender requirements.
Generally no. Ontario rules restrict one lawyer acting for both sides, with narrow exceptions. Each side should have its own lawyer.
Yes, resale condos (including the status certificate review) and new builds.
On closing day, once the transfer is registered and the funds have been sent to the seller’s lawyer.
Remote signing is available for eligible transactions. In-person appointments are available by arrangement.
Send us your accepted offer (or the draft you are about to sign), your closing date and your lender’s details, and we will confirm the next steps.