BC Guide · Pricing
How much does a prenup cost in BC?
$1,499 plus taxes, flat. That covers the whole agreement and full legal advice for one of you. The other partner needs their own lawyer for independent advice, typically $500–$700. So the total for both of you is usually about $2,000–$2,200 plus taxes. No hourly billing, no retainer, no surprise invoice at the end.
Same price whether you call it a prenup, a marriage agreement or a cohabitation agreement. In BC they're the same kind of agreement under the Family Law Act, so we charge one number.
The whole number, line by line
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Your agreement Drafted around your actual assets, explained clause by clause on video, witnessed signing, full advice and a certificate for one partner. Business owners, blended families and family gifts included. |
$1,499 + taxes |
| Your partner's independent legal advice Paid to their own lawyer. We can point them to affordable BC lawyers in our network, or they choose anyone they like. |
~$500–$700 + taxes |
| Anything else? No. No disbursements, no "file opening" fee, no extra for a second draft. |
$0 |
If your partner's lawyer already drafted the agreement and you just need your own advice and certificate, that's our independent legal advice service: $499 plus taxes, flat, with a video meeting within 2 business days.
What a traditional firm charges
Most BC family law firms bill prenups by the hour against a retainer. Quotes of $3,000–$6,000 per side are common, and the final bill depends on how many emails and revisions the file takes. A couple can easily spend $6,000–$10,000 between them.
We charge less because the process is built to be efficient: a plain-language questionnaire instead of billable interviews, a clause bank refined over real files instead of drafting from a blank page, and everything by video instead of an office. The document you get is the same kind of document. The lawyer time that matters (reading your finances, drafting, advising you, supervising the signing) still goes in.
What about a $50 template?
Templates are cheap because they leave out the parts that make an agreement enforceable. A BC court can set an agreement aside if one of you didn't disclose your finances properly, didn't get independent advice, or signed under pressure. A downloaded template comes with none of those protections: no disclosure schedules, no lawyer's certificates, no witnessing.
That's the trade: save roughly $1,400 now, and find out on the worst day of your life whether the thing holds. For most couples with a home, a business or a family gift on the line, it isn't a close call.
Does the price change for complicated situations?
No. One price covers business owners, second relationships with children, parents gifting a down payment, inheritances, crypto, and couples who have already been living together for years. If we ever thought a file was outside what we can do properly for a flat fee, we'd tell you on the free call before any work starts, not after.
When do we pay?
After the free 15-minute call, once you've decided to go ahead. Payment is by e-transfer, before drafting starts. There's nothing to pay for the call itself.
The cost of not having one
Under BC law, once you've lived together for two years (or married), the growth on what each of you brought in is shared by default. On a Vancouver condo that's often six figures. Company shares count too. An agreement is the only way to change those defaults, and it costs about what one hour of a court application does.
Not sure whether the two-year rule applies to you yet? Here's the rule in plain English.
$1,499 plus taxes. That’s the number.
Start with a free 15-minute call. We confirm the fit, answer your questions and run a conflict check. No obligation, nothing to prepare.
Book a free 15-minute callThis page is general information about BC law and our fees, not legal advice for your situation. Prices are in Canadian dollars and are subject to GST and PST. The other partner's lawyer sets their own fee.