---
title: Proposals and retainers
description: The written scope and price for work a firm will do for you — reading a proposal, signing the retainer, and paying for it.
product: Lexpoint — Individuals
audience: People managing their own Canadian immigration
doc_type: hub
canonical_url: https://docs.lexpoint.io/individuals/proposals/
last_verified: 2026-08-28
license: Documentation © Lexpoint. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL.
---
# Proposals and retainers

A **proposal** is the written offer that follows a consultation: which **service** a firm will
provide, what it costs, and what is excluded. Accepting it and signing the **retainer** is what
opens a case.

Services differ mainly in who files the application, and which ones you are offered depends on your
servicing organization and the application type.

Nothing is billed before you have seen a proposal, and no case opens until a retainer is signed. If
you are looking at a case, a proposal was accepted.

## In this section

```cards
title: Service types
href: /individuals/proposals/services/
icon: 🪜
text: Case Review, Full Representation, and self-managed cases — and who files in each.
---
title: Understanding your proposal
href: /individuals/proposals/understanding-proposals/
icon: 📋
text: Scope, fees, government charges, and what the price does and does not include.
---
title: Accept and sign a retainer
href: /individuals/proposals/sign-retainer/
icon: ✍️
text: Reviewing terms, signing, and what happens the moment you sign.
---
title: Payments and invoices
href: /individuals/proposals/payments-and-invoices/
icon: 💳
text: Paying, receipts, and where your statement lives.
---
title: Payment plans
href: /individuals/proposals/payment-plans/
icon: 🗓️
text: Instalment schedules, and what happens if one is missed.
```