How Much Do Startup Legal Documents Cost in Canada? Real Flat-Fee Prices

Key takeaways: Ruby's agreements run from $299 CAD for a straightforward NDA to $1,299 CAD for a joint venture agreement, every price a single flat fee confirmed in writing before any work begins. Below is the real cost of the contracts Canadian founders and operators ask about most, by category, each reviewed by a licensed Canadian lawyer.

NDAs and IP agreements

A Mutual or One-Way Non-Disclosure Agreement costs $299 CAD. An IP Assignment Agreement, the document that actually moves IP out of a contractor's or founder's hands and into the company, costs $499 CAD.

Employment and contractor agreements

A Standard Employment Agreement costs $499 CAD. An Independent Contractor Agreement, the document that actually separates a contractor from an employee under Ontario's ESA, also costs $499 CAD. An Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP), which needs board approval and tax-aware drafting, costs $799 CAD.

Shareholder and founder agreements

A Two-Party Shareholder Agreement costs $799 CAD. A Founders' Lock-Up Agreement, which sets each founder's vesting before anything else gets signed, costs $499 CAD.

SaaS agreements, MSAs, and commercial contracts

A SaaS Agreement or a Master Services Agreement (MSA) each cost $799 CAD. A Statement of Work, which scopes one project under an existing MSA, costs $499 CAD.

SAFEs, convertible notes, and financing documents

A SAFE Agreement or a Convertible Note each cost $799 CAD, drafted against the same CVCA-aligned terms Canadian rounds actually use. A Bridge Note costs $499 CAD, and a straightforward Demand Promissory Note costs $299 CAD.

Privacy policies and website terms

A Privacy Policy or a Terms of Service page each cost $499 CAD. A Cookie Policy costs $299 CAD.

Partnership and joint venture agreements

A Partnership Agreement costs $799 CAD. A Joint Venture Agreement, the most complex document Ruby drafts, costs $1,299 CAD.

Influencer, creator, and media agreements

An Influencer or Creator Agreement, a Talent Representation Agreement, or a Production Agreement each cost $799 CAD.

What “cheap” actually means here

A $299 NDA is cheap next to an hourly firm: a Bay Street firm bills roughly $850 an hour for work that takes about twenty minutes of real legal thinking, so the same NDA would need to take under half an hour of billed time to cost what Ruby charges for it, all in. The saving isn't a discount on quality; it's a different pricing model. Every Ruby price above is a single flat fee, confirmed in writing before any work begins, and it includes review and sign-off from a licensed Canadian lawyer, not a template you're on your own with.

See the full catalog of all 34 agreements and prices on Pricing, or get in touch to start one.