Can I bring a certified cheque instead of wiring my closing funds to my Ontario lawyer?

Many Ontario law firms will accept a certified cheque or bank draft, but increasingly firms prefer or require a wire transfer instead, largely because certified funds have become a target for a specific kind of fraud involving altered or counterfeit cheques that can look entirely legitimate. Whether your lawyer's office accepts a certified instrument for your particular closing depends on their own policy, so this is worth confirming directly rather than assuming.

If certified funds are accepted, clearing time can also matter: a bank draft or certified cheque may need to be deposited and confirmed as cleared before your lawyer will treat the money as available in trust, which can affect timing if you deliver it very close to closing. A wire, once it has actually landed in the trust account, is often treated as available more quickly than a paper instrument still working through the banking system. Ask your lawyer's office well ahead of closing which method they require or prefer, and plan the timing of delivering your funds around whichever answer they give you.