The verdict in three sentences
For a law firm in Montreal, the website contract matters as much as the design: it decides who owns the domain, hosting, code and copy on the day you switch providers. Insist on payment milestones tied to verifiable deliverables, a written acceptance test covering both the French and English versions, and a professional conduct review of content before launch. Obligations under Quebec Law 25 and the Charter of the French Language should appear as specific clauses, not a vague promise of "compliance".
Which clauses should you require before signing?
A website contract for a firm runs 6 to 10 pages. Here are the clauses to check one by one.
| Clause | What it should say | What to watch for a Montreal firm |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | List of pages (practice areas, lawyers, insights, careers, contact) and features | Number of lawyer bios and practice areas stated |
| Domain | Registered in the firm's name (.ca or .quebec), admin access handed over | Never in the agency's or an employee's name |
| Hosting | Account in the firm's name, or transfer guaranteed within 10 business days | Where form data is hosted |
| Code and content | Assignment of rights to custom code, copy and paid visuals | Font, photo and plugin licences listed |
| Payment milestones | 3 or 4 payments tied to deliverables | No more than 40% at signing |
| Acceptance | Written criteria, 2 revision rounds, response times | FR and EN tests, devices and browsers listed |
| Personal information | Confidentiality undertaking, named subcontractors, security measures | Law 25 requirements turned into tasks |
| Exit and handover | Access handover, content export, documentation | Handover time and cost fixed in advance |
On language: the Charter of the French Language, as amended by Bill 96, governs the language of commercial websites in Quebec. In practice, write into the contract that the French version is complete and at least as accessible as the English one, and test it during acceptance just like the other.
On privacy: Law 25 requires, among other things, a person in charge of the protection of personal information, a published privacy policy, the highest privacy settings by default for tracking technologies, and a privacy impact assessment before personal information is communicated outside Quebec. Your provider does not replace your privacy officer, but the contract should state what it delivers: a cookie banner with tracking off by default, a privacy policy page, a list of third-party tools and the hosting location.
What do standard contracts say, and what should you ask for instead?
The ranges below are a 2026 ballpark based on typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages for 15 to 40 page firm websites. Amounts are in USD; Montreal agencies bill in Canadian dollars.
| Topic | Typical local agency contract | What to ask for | Kolonell fixed terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build price | $15,000 to $60,000 | Firm price per phase | $2,900, $4,900 or $8,900 depending on package |
| Deposit | 30 to 50% | 30 to 40% maximum | Payments tied to milestones |
| Timeline | 10 to 20 weeks | Dated schedule with penalty or exit | 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready |
| Code ownership | Licence to use, sometimes a proprietary theme | Full assignment of paid deliverables | Code and content handed to the firm |
| Domain and hosting | Often in the agency's name | In the firm's name | In the client's name |
| Post-launch support | $300 to $1,500 per month | Written rates and response times | 3 months included, then on quote |
| FR and EN copy | Translation billed separately | Native copywriting in both languages | Native English or French copywriting included |
Package details are on the international website offer page. Secure client portals, integrations with practice management software and search optimization work are on quote.
How should milestones and acceptance be structured?
A sound split protects both sides. A proposal for a firm website:
- Signing (30%): scope, sitemap and schedule approved.
- Designs (30%): home, practice area and lawyer bio templates approved in FR and EN.
- Staging (30%): full site on a test address, content loaded.
- Launch (10%): signed acceptance, domain pointed, access handed over.
Acceptance should include a step agencies often skip: a professional conduct review of content. The Barreau du Québec's advertising rules address, among other things, misleading statements, promises of results and the use of testimonials; have a designated partner review every page before signing acceptance. Add measurable criteria: forms tested in both languages, every page available in French, mobile load time under 3 seconds, WCAG 2.1 AA targeted on the main templates.
This is not legal advice. Have the contract reviewed by a member of the firm or your usual adviser.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
For an example of a professional services website built by Kolonell, see TR Signing Group (trsigninggroup.com), a signing services company in New Jersey.
Mini case study
*Illustrative example.* Me Gagnon, a partner at a 12-lawyer firm in downtown Montreal, compares two contracts. Agency A offers $32,000, 50% at signing, the domain in its own name and a licence to use its theme. Kolonell offers the Premium package at $8,900 with four milestones.
If the firm switches providers after two years, Agency A charges for handing over access and rebuilding the theme, estimated at $6,000. Total exposure: 32,000 + 6,000 = $38,000, with $16,000 paid before any design is shown. With four milestones at 30/30/30/10, the firm pays only $2,670 before seeing designs, and exit costs nothing since the domain and code are already in its name.
FAQ
Should the domain be .ca or .quebec?
Both work; what matters is that it is registered in the firm's name. Many firms register both for roughly $20 to $60 a year and redirect one to the other.
How many revision rounds should acceptance include?
Two rounds per phase are enough in most cases, with the firm responding within 5 business days. Beyond that, changes become a priced change request.
Who is responsible for Law 25 compliance?
The firm remains responsible for the personal information it collects. The provider must deliver the technical items set out in the contract, for example a cookie banner with tracking off by default and a list of the 3 to 10 third-party tools in use.
What happens after the 3 included months of support?
At Kolonell, maintenance after the 3 months is on quote, depending on the volume of updates. In any contract, write down the expected response time, for example 2 business days.
Do we need a specific confidentiality clause?
Yes, because the provider may see messages received through the contact form. A written clause, with an obligation to delete copies at the end of the project, takes half a page. Request a free quote to receive our standard terms.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many lawyers, practice areas and languages you have, and we will send a priced scope with milestones and a 3 to 4 week timeline. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
