Frequently asked questions

Member Legal Services is a CARFAC Ontario pilot program offering members a new model for accessing legal services. Legal services are provided by Vandana Taxali of Entcounsel Law Firm.

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

Yes, Member Legal Services is only available to CARFAC Ontario members.

If you are not currently a member, please review our membership benefits and find the right membership for you. Membership starts at $25/quarter. Still have questions? Please contact us at info@carfacontario.ca.

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.

Start with a free 15-minute legal triage call, or drop in to the free Artists’ Rights Clinic (Mondays and Wednesdays, 5PM ET). Both give general legal information to help you work out whether you have a legal issue and what to do next.

You can also fill out our one-on-one support form and CARFAC Ontario staff will help you figure out the next best step.

No. CARFAC Ontario 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 new ways to help visual artists access 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, how pricing and subsidy support are offered, and other available support. Any changes will be made with the goal of improving the service for members.

Your participation helps shape how the program develops over time.

CARFAC Ontario members receive member rates through Member Legal Services. Legal matters vary widely in scope, so every request receives an individual written quote reflecting the work involved, before any work begins.

Some matters may also qualify for the Legal Subsidy from CARFAC Ontario (see below). See the Fees page for how this works.

During the pilot, CARFAC Ontario may offer a Legal Subsidy toward the cost of one approved matter. It's separate from Member Legal Services: you can use the service at member rates whether or not your matter qualifies.

There's no separate application. Your matter is reviewed for the subsidy when you submit your intake, and any subsidy that applies is shown on your quote. It's for matters that relate directly to artists' fees, professional rights or working conditions, and depends on available funding.

See the Legal Subsidy key points, or the full subsidy terms.

The subsidy generally doesn't cover incorporation and governance, charities, tax and accounting, employment where you are the employer, real estate and leases, wills, family, criminal or immigration law, business disputes unrelated to your art practice, routine debt collection, or litigation.

It covers legal work after your engagement letter is signed, not the free triage, the clinic or earlier work. Filing fees and other third-party costs are also separate. See the Fees page for details.

You become Entcounsel's client only when you sign an engagement letter. Until then, including at the free triage call and the Artists' Rights Clinic, what you receive is general legal information, not legal advice about your situation.

No. CARFAC Ontario funds the subsidy, but your lawyer acts for you. CARFAC Ontario does not direct the legal advice, strategy or settlement decisions, and does not see your legal file. Your communications with your lawyer are confidential and, where it applies, protected by solicitor-client privilege.

With your consent, CARFAC Ontario receives only what it needs to run the program, such as confirmation that a matter is open and how much of the subsidy has been used. To protect your privilege, share legal documents and details only through Entcounsel's secure client portal.

Yes, we welcome individual Associate and Institutional members to submit an intake for eligible contract review work. Associate and Institutional members are responsible for a minimum of 50% of their quoted legal fees. Where subsidy funds are available, CARFAC Ontario may contribute toward the remaining balance. Entcounsel will be guided by the CARFAC-RAAV Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule, and CARFAC's best practice standards, including the Status of Ontario's Artists Act.

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.

If litigation becomes necessary, Vandana can provide litigation services outside this program at standard rates, ensuring continuity for your case.

It depends on your situation, your legal needs, and schedules. Most services requested can be fulfilled within 3–5 business days.

Self-employed artists may be able to 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 Ontario 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.

Questions about fees or services: artlaw@entcounsel.com

Questions about the program or membership: info@carfacontario.ca

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 →