As part of our commitment to our community as Guelph Realtors, we’ve compiled a series of directories as guides to people looking for local products and services, including recommendations for a Guelph lawyer. This Top 10 is a part of our larger, support local initiative in a wide variety of categories.
Often time in our business, our clients ask us for a recommendation for Guelph lawyers. Considering we deal with lawyers on a regular basis, we’ve created a list based on first hand experience.
We do not receive compensation in any way for this list. If you believe there are other options that we should feature in the top 5, please contact us!
1. Robert Sheldon, Paquette Travers, 100 Gordon St Guelph
Robert completed his undergraduate degree at Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS), his Juris Doctorate at the University of Windsor and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2013. While at Windsor Law, he was the recipient of the 2011 Scotiabank award in Trusts and achieved the highest standing out of the 2011 University of Windsor Mediation Services Clinic interns.
After a distinguished career in public service, Robert decided to hang out a shingle and opened Sheldon Law, practising real estate, wills and powers of attorney and corporate law in Guelph, ON, with much success. In July 2022, Robert merged Sheldon Law with Paquette Travers.
You can find Robert at https://www.paquettetravers.com/about-us#meet-the-team
2. Mark Graham Law, 137 Norfolk St, Guelph
The one thing we find refreshing about Mark Graham is his down to earth nature and humour. Yes, he’s a lawyer but he also enjoys his job. From his website:
Over the years my team and I have helped thousands of individuals and families buy, sell and refinance their homes . We’ve also helped with condominiums and commercial building and cottages. From beef farms to beet farms, with lots of vacant acreage in between, we bring an extensive and wide depth and breadth of real estate experience to assist you with your real estate matter.
We have two convenient locations. One in beautiful downtown Guelph and the other in the heart of historic Waterdown. Mark Grahams website is www.grahamlaw.ca
Sue Dason, Dason Law, 267 Woolwich St
From Sue’s website: I have been practicing law for 30 years, with the last 15 years in Guelph.
I began my practice in Singapore as in house counsel of its National Land Planning and Land Development Agency for 10 years followed by real estate and general practice in Nova Scotia before settling in Guelph. I started practicing in Guelph in 2002 with the law firm of Hungerford, Guthrie and Berry and then on my own in 2010.
My varied practice experience has given me a wide perspective on many different types of issues. I am also involved in the Guelph community and the County of Wellington and able to take into account local concerns.
Our clients have had great success with Dason Law!
Dason Law has law clerks, however Sue is one of the few lawyers who personally manages transactions. You can find more at dasonlaw.com
4. Sergio Manera: McElderry & Morris, 84 Woolwich St
Sergio J. Manera is in demand as a practitioner of real estate law, business law, estates law and estate planning.
He also has extensive experience drafting wills and powers of attorney. Sergio has been with McElderry & Morris since 1993.
He has been actively involved in the organization of and participation in various sporting activities in Guelph, including golf, tennis, soccer, slo-pitch baseball, basketball and volleyball. He continues to assist in fundraising efforts for various charities throughout Guelph.
Born and raised in Guelph, Sergio makes his home here along with his wife Sheila and their two sons.
McElderry Morris has an office downtown Guelph, next to the Sleeman Centre. You can find them at https://www.mcelderrymorris.com/
5. SV Law, 245 Hanlon Creek Blvd, Guelph
If you’re interested in a large, one stop office for real estate transactions, you’ll likely want to consider a real estate lawyer from SV Law. This is Guelph’s “big box” of lawyers.
There are currently 14 real estate lawyers employed at SV Law as per their website. Over the years we have dealt with a number of them, all with positive experiences. This includes Randy Brant, Lisa Gazzola, Frank Valeriote, Diane Squires, Nicola Melchers and EJ Stross.
SV Law does practice in real estate, but also many other areas of law and represents a significant share of the Guelph market. From their website:
Our team is made up of experienced lawyers and a dedicated group of clerks who can help you during this process. We know real estate law and will work with you from the review of the Agreement of Purchase or Sale all the way to the final closing of the transaction. Our services include matters of financing of real property and we have extensive background in mortgage and loan documentation for real estate.
You can find more at svlaw.ca. Note they’ve recently moved from West Guelph to South Guelph.
6. Cheryl Stelzer Law, 363 Woolwich St, Guelph
Cheryl has been in the Guelph area since 1996. Although not exclusively real estate law, Cheryl is quite familiar with real estate transactions and handles most offers personally. Her extensive repeat client base indicates the level of satisfaction of her clients.
Her office has a few clerks to help prepare real estate transactions.
You can find Cheryl at stelzerlaw.ca
How much does a real estate lawyer cost?
Closing costs for transactions vary for a number of reasons, so it’s difficult to give very specific numbers. Here are some of the factors:
Closing costs when buying a house
Closing costs when buying are different from those when selling. On a purchase, a buyer is responsible for land transfer tax. However, if they are a first time buyer in Ontario where they may qualify for a rebate. The legal costs are generally around $2000.
Many of the legal fees related to a purchase are not actual “lawyer fees”. They’re simply costs that the lawyer pays to government and other agencies and then passes down to you.
Closing costs when selling a house
On a sale, a seller pays both sides of real estate commission, but not land transfer tax. To be conservative, you should also expect about $2000 in closing costs. Although, it is usually cheaper to sell than to buy.
Other closing cost considerations
When searching for a real estate lawyer, you should consider more than just cost. Often times, clients will simply call around and ask “what’s your price” without knowing what you get for that price.
It’s often quite difficult to answer the question without knowing more information as each transaction is different. Also, be aware of “a la carte” pricing. This simply means a lower starting base price and then other costs added on (which are necessary). This strategy makes a lawyer seem cheaper, but in the end is on par with others that include everything in their price.
Some other lists we’ve created include:
If you have any questions on the Guelph real estate market or need the advice of Guelph realtors, feel free to give us a call!
