“While a prosecuting lawyer hired by the Crown starts at a salary well north of $100,000 and gets raises that eventually take them over $200,000, a private practice defence lawyer taking on Legal Aid cases may struggle to make $60,000. Out of that, they have to pay annual Law Society memberships and legal insurance, along with the possibility of setting up an office, covering their own pension and health insurance along with paying for advertising, a receptionist, a bookkeeper and equipment.”
https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/as-ontarios-legal-aid-system-creaks-low-income-citizens-suffer