Independent legal advice — for BC agreements · BC
Been handed an agreement to sign?
Get real advice, fast.
If your partner's lawyer drafted a cohabitation agreement, prenup or property agreement, you need your own lawyer before you sign. We read the whole thing, tell you in plain English what you're keeping and giving up, and issue your certificate. $499 plus taxes, flat.
Video meeting within 2 business days of booking — guaranteed. Your certificate is signed the same day and sent straight to the other lawyer.
- Practising BC lawyer, on your side only
- Meeting within 2 business days
- 100% by video, anywhere in BC
Real advice, not a rubber stamp
A certificate of independent legal advice is what makes the agreement bind you. Ours comes with the advice the name promises.
We read every clause
The whole agreement, the schedules and the numbers — not a skim. If something is missing (disclosure, a schedule, a date), we tell you before you sign, not after.
Plain-English explanation
What you keep, what you give up, and what changes if you separate, if one of you dies, or if you buy a home together later. No jargon, and you can ask anything.
Push-back, if you want it
Some clauses are worth asking to change. We flag them, explain the trade-off, and if you decide to negotiate we send the requests to the other lawyer for you.
Your certificate, same day
Once you decide to sign, we witness your signature on video, sign the certificate and send both to the other lawyer the same day. Done.
Needing your own lawyer isn't red tape. It's the law working for you — and it's the reason the agreement will hold up for both of you later.
One flat fee, no surprises
Most BC firms charge $1,000 or more for the same review, on an hourly retainer. We don't.
ILA on the agreement you’ve been given
Cohabitation agreements, marriage agreements and prenups, and property or co-ownership agreements between partners. Full review, video meeting, negotiation notes if you want them, and your signed certificate.
Need your own agreement instead?
If nobody has drafted anything yet, we draft it — around your actual assets, with full advice for one of you.
All prices in CAD, plus taxes. One lawyer can only act for one of you — that's why you need your own, whichever side of the agreement you're on.
Why the speed matters
Agreements usually arrive with a deadline attached: a wedding, a completion date, a mortgage approval. Waiting two weeks for a law-firm appointment is how signings get rushed.
Book today, meet by video within 2 business days — evenings and weekends included
Send the agreement ahead and we've read it before the meeting starts
Signing witnessed live on the same call, if you're ready
Certificate and signed pages sent to the other lawyer the same day
Need it even sooner? Ask — same-day is often possible.
Have the agreement handy — we'll confirm the fee and book your advice meeting on the call.
How it works
Three steps, all from your couch. Most people are done within a week of first contact.
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1
Today
Book a free call and send us the agreement
A 15-minute call to confirm we can act for you (we run a conflict check) and to book your advice meeting. Email the agreement and we read it in advance.
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2
Within 2 business days
Your advice meeting, by video
Usually 45–60 minutes. We go through the agreement clause by clause, answer your questions, and tell you what we'd push back on. You decide what to do with that.
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3
Same day
Sign, certificate, done
When you're ready to sign, we witness it on video, sign your certificate of independent legal advice, and send everything to the other lawyer.
Start with a free 15-minute call
We confirm the fee, run the conflict check and book your advice meeting — within 2 business days. Have both partners' full names and the agreement handy.
Drafting for one side? Send the other side to us.
For BC family and real estate lawyers who need the other party advised quickly so the deal can close.
Fixed fee, fixed turnaround, no poaching
Mine & Ours provides ILA on cohabitation, marriage and property agreements for a flat $499 plus taxes, given by a practising BC lawyer. Your client's partner gets a video meeting within 2 business days of booking; you get the signed certificate and execution pages back the same day. We advise on your document — we never solicit your client, and we never redraft your agreement unless you ask for our negotiation notes.
- Member, Law Society of British Columbia
- Insured BC law practice
- Send the agreement to hello@mineandours.ca with the other party's contact details
Independent legal advice, explained
What is a certificate of independent legal advice?
It's a signed statement from your own lawyer that you received advice on the agreement, understood it, and signed voluntarily. In BC it's the single most important protection for an agreement under the Family Law Act — for both of you. Without it, the agreement is far easier to set aside later.
Why can't I just use my partner's lawyer?
Because your interests aren't identical, one lawyer can only act for one of you. That's a professional rule, and it's what makes the agreement solid. Your partner's lawyer drafted the document in your partner's interest; your lawyer's only job is you.
Do I have to sign after the meeting?
No. The advice is yours to use however you like. Many people sign the same day; some ask for changes first; a few decide not to sign at all. If you want changes, we'll send the requests to the other lawyer, and the fee stays the same.
What does "within 2 business days" actually mean?
Book your free call today and we will offer you an advice-meeting slot within 2 business days, including evenings and weekends. If you're ready to sign at that meeting, your certificate goes out the same day. Need it faster? Ask — same-day is often possible.
Which agreements do you advise on?
Cohabitation agreements, marriage agreements and prenups, and property or co-ownership agreements between partners (for example, adding a partner to title). If your agreement is something else, ask — we'll tell you straight away whether we can help.
Can we both use Mine & Ours?
No — one lawyer per person. If we drafted the agreement for your partner, we'll help your partner find a lawyer for you through our network of affordable BC lawyers, or you choose your own. If another lawyer drafted it, we're free to act for you.
Ready to sign with your eyes open?
One free call, one video meeting, and you'll know exactly what you're agreeing to.
Questions first? Text 604-603-6413 or tap the chat bubble.