Legal support designed for your practice with Entcounsel

The Member Legal Services is a pilot initiative formed in collaboration with Vandana Taxali (Entcounsel). This programme provides CARFAC members with a new, innovative model to deliver legal services.

It is designed by artists, for artists, and is structured to meet the needs of your career at any stage.

Yes, the Members' Legal Services is only available for CARFAC Ontario members.

If you are not currently a member, please review our membership benefits and find the right membership for you. Still have questions? Please contact us.

This legal service is for CARFAC Ontario members only — pricing is set at CARFAC special rates. The rates are structured based on a new, experimental model of delivering legal services.

Rates are available on the Members' Portal and are provided to give you an idea and help you plan. Each case is assessed and provided a quote to ensure we are tailoring to your legal needs.

The rates available through CARFAC's Member Legal Services were negotiated specifically for members as part of the partnership between CARFAC and Entcounsel. Like most negotiated group benefits, insurance, professional association programs, and similar member services, the specific rates are kept confidential and shared only with members who can access them.

Membership starts at $25/quarter. We also host information sessions where you can learn more about membership, fees, and whether this service is the right fit before committing.

Yes. To obtain legal services, the Law Society of Ontario (By-Law 7.1) requires lawyers to verify your identity before legal services can be provided.

Entcounsel is a virtual law firm — identity verification is conducted through Stripe Identity, a secure digital verification service that meets regulatory requirements. You will be asked to present a valid, non-expired government-issued photo ID.

Acceptable documents include:

• Canadian passport, Permanent Resident card, Citizenship card (issued prior to 2012), or Secure Certificate of Indian Status
• Provincial or territorial driver's licence from any Canadian jurisdiction
• Provincial or territorial photo ID card, including the Ontario Photo Card
• Foreign government-issued photo ID equivalent to a Canadian document

Municipal government IDs and the Ontario Health Card (OHIP) are not accepted. Stripe Identity does not permanently retain your identification document beyond the verification process. Entcounsel independently maintains a record of the verification in their secure file system for the period required by the Law Society of Ontario.

Fill out our one-on-one support form and CARFAC Ontario staff will help you figure out the next best step for your situation.

No. CARFAC Member Legal Services are only for issues pertaining to the professional practice and presentation of visual art. For non-arts related issues, please refer to legal aid programs or pro-bono clinics.

This service is being launched as a pilot, which means CARFAC Ontario is testing a new way to help visual artists access more affordable legal support.

The service is available now, but may continue to evolve as we learn what artists need, what kinds of requests come in, and how the model can be made sustainable. During the pilot, we may adjust parts of the process, including intake, timelines, service options, pricing structure, and available supports. Any changes will be made with the goal of improving the service for members.

Your participation and feedback may help shape how the program develops over time.

Yes, we welcome individual associate and institutional members to submit an intake for legal service needs. Entcounsel will be guided by the CARFAC-RAAV Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule, and CARFAC's best practice standards, including the Ontario Status of the Artist Action.

No. Services are limited to brief, non-litigation legal services within the scope of the pilot project. Litigation, tribunal proceedings, court applications, and extended legal representation are not included.

It depends on your situation, your legal needs, and schedules. Most services requested can be fulfilled within 5–7 business days.

Yes! You can deduct legal fees for professional advice or services, including consultation fees. For more information please review the Government of Canada's Revenue Agency information for Sole Proprietorships and Partnerships: Line 8860 – Professional fees (includes legal and accounting fees).

Pro-bono and legal aid are both free legal services that overlap but differ in principle. Pro-bono refers to providing free legal services with the same quality and ethical standards as a paying client. Legal aid is a government-funded service providing free legal assistance on the premise that all individuals have the right to legal information.

Both are important offerings, but CARFAC Ontario has identified key limitations over many years, including:

• Timeline and eligibility: Most pro-bono and legal aid appointments require a minimum 2-week wait. Legal aid typically requires financial documents to verify eligibility, and you may still be asked to pay some fees.
• Limited scope: Many pro-bono services provide summary legal information but cannot represent you, draft documents, or issue demand letters. Legal aid is restricted to certain areas of law and may not cover specific professional issues visual artists face, such as intellectual property and copyright.
• Limited time with a lawyer: Appointments may be capped at 30 minutes or a set number of hours, resulting in generalized advice and limited representation.
• Inconsistent services: Due to the nature of pro-bono and legal aid, you may not have the same lawyer across appointments, creating inconsistency and unnecessary repetition that slows down the process.

CARFAC Member Legal Services is designed to provide a new model of cost-effective, efficient, and tailored legal services for visual artists that fills a much-needed gap in our sector.

We've put together a step-by-step guide that walks you through the full process — from confirming your membership to getting started with Vandana.

View the Member Legal Services Guide →