---
title: Payment plans
description: How to set an instalment schedule on a proposal, the limits the schedule must respect, and what happens when a payment is missed.
product: Lexpoint — Individuals
audience: People managing their own Canadian immigration
doc_type: guide
canonical_url: https://docs.lexpoint.io/individuals/proposals/payment-plans/
app_routes: https://my.lexpoint.io/app/proposals/[id], https://my.lexpoint.io/app/cases/[case_id]
requires: A proposal in the Review stage
last_verified: 2026-09-03
keywords: payment plan, instalments, deposit, payment schedule, overdue payment, split payments
license: Documentation © Lexpoint. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL.
---
# Payment plans

A payment plan splits the professional fee into instalments. It is set on the proposal, before you
accept — this is the only point at which you can change it, because accepting locks the schedule and
signing freezes it into the retainer.

Payment plans cover professional fees only. Government fees are never part of a schedule.

## Where to set it

The schedule sits inside the **Professional Fees** section of a proposal, under **Payment Schedule**.
It is editable only while the proposal is in the **Review** stage.

```media
id: proposal-payment-schedule-editor
type: screenshot
caption: The payment schedule editor on a draft proposal, in instalments mode with a deposit and a balance.
shot: /app/proposals/[id] on a draft proposal → Fees section → PaymentScheduleEditor in "Pay in installments" mode showing the deposit row, the balance row, the split bar, and the "Total balanced" confirmation. Demo account, light mode, 1440×900. Redact every dollar amount and the client name.
src: /media/individuals/proposal-payment-schedule-editor.webp
```

## Two modes

| Mode | What it is |
|---|---|
| **Pay in full** | One payment for the whole professional fee. The amount is fixed; you choose the date. |
| **Pay in installments** | A deposit plus a balance. Permanent-residence engagements can be split into three payments instead of two. |

Switching between modes rebuilds the rows. Instalments mode always opens with a deposit and a
balance; on a permanent-residence proposal a **Split into 3 payments** button adds a third, and
**Remove** takes it away again.

## What you can change, and what you cannot

Each row has an amount and a due date, and the two behave differently:

- **Pay in full** — the amount is locked to the full fee. Only the date is yours.
- **Deposit** — you set the amount, subject to a minimum shown beneath the field. It is marked
  **Non-refundable**.
- **Balance** — computed automatically from the deposit in a two-payment plan, so it always closes
  the gap. In a three-payment plan the second and third amounts are both editable and adjust against
  each other.

Every date field carries its own limit, shown as a hint under the picker — *Up to N days from
signing*. The first payment always falls within a week of signing; later instalments have longer
windows, and the third payment in a three-way split has the longest. The limits come from the firm's
configuration rather than being fixed in the product, which is why the editor shows you the number
rather than assuming you know it.

A bar beneath the rows shows how the total is divided. Below it, the editor confirms **Total
balanced** when the instalments add up to the fee, or lists exactly what is wrong when they do not —
an amount below the minimum deposit, a date past its limit, or a total that does not match.

:::caution[Save before you accept]
The schedule is not saved as you type. Select **Save Schedule** — the button carries a marker while
you have unsaved changes. The **Accept** button will send you back to this section until the schedule
is saved.
:::

## After you sign

The saved schedule becomes the payment schedule on your case, listed under the **Payments** tab with
one row per instalment. The first payment is made from the proposal itself; the rest are paid from
the case. See [Payments and invoices](/individuals/proposals/payments-and-invoices/).

## If a payment is missed

A payment is overdue when its due date has passed and part or all of it is still outstanding. When
that happens:

- The row is marked **Overdue** and shown in red, and it stays in your **Outstanding** total.
- **Pay** stays available on the row. A partly paid instalment offers **Balance** instead, for the
  remainder only.
- An overdue amount can trigger a payment reminder by email, carrying a **Pay now** link that works
  without signing in. Reminders are rate-limited, so a single overdue payment will not produce a
  stream of email.

Paying an overdue instalment is the same as paying any other: the row opens a Stripe payment link
and returns you to the Payments tab.

What a missed payment means for your engagement is set out in the **Legal Terms** section of the
agreement you signed, which stays readable on the proposal.

## Related

- [Understanding your proposal](/individuals/proposals/understanding-proposals/) — where the professional fee total comes from
- [Payments and invoices](/individuals/proposals/payments-and-invoices/) — paying each instalment and finding receipts
- [Accept and sign a retainer](/individuals/proposals/sign-retainer/) — the point at which the schedule locks
- [Cases](/individuals/cases/) — where the schedule lives once the case is open

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I change my payment schedule after accepting?

No. The schedule is editable only while the proposal is in the Review stage. Accepting locks it, and signing freezes it into the retainer.

### Is the deposit refundable?

The first instalment is labelled Non-refundable in the schedule editor. What that means in your engagement is set out in the Legal Terms section of your agreement.

### Does a payment plan cover government fees?

No. A payment plan applies only to professional fees. Government fees are paid in full to the relevant authority when your application is filed.