Fractional DPO Services · Canada
Fractional DPO services for Canadian startups and growing companies
Senior privacy leadership without the full-time hire. LegallyYours acts as your designated privacy officer and runs your privacy programme under PIPEDA and Quebec’s Law 25, from $1,800 per month, month to month.
What is a fractional DPO?
A fractional Data Protection Officer is a senior privacy professional who serves as your company’s designated privacy officer on a part-time, retained basis. You get the accountability, judgement and programme leadership of an experienced privacy lead, for a monthly retainer instead of a six-figure salary, benefits and a long hiring process.
Canadian law expects a named, accountable person. PIPEDA’s accountability principle requires every organization to designate someone responsible for personal information compliance, and Quebec’s Law 25 requires a named person in charge of the protection of personal information. A fractional DPO fills that designated role properly, with the programme to back it up.
Today, most of a growing company’s privacy risk runs through its AI tools: the chatbots, copilots and automated screening features quietly processing personal data. That is why our fractional DPO service and our AI governance practice are run together, so the same lead who owns your privacy programme also keeps your AI use inside it.
What your fractional DPO handles
Designated privacy officer role for PIPEDA and Quebec Law 25
Privacy policies and internal handling procedures
Records of processing (ROPA) built and kept current
Privacy impact assessments (PIAs and DPIAs) for new products and features
Vendor and processor privacy reviews
Access and deletion request (DSAR) handling
Breach response planning and incident support
Staff privacy training and board-level privacy reporting
AI tools inside your records of processing, PIAs and vendor reviews
Building or buying AI?
Privacy is only half the picture. Our AI governance service inventories the AI you run, classifies its risk and puts the policies and oversight in place, starting with a fixed-fee assessment.
Plans and pricing
All plans are month to month with 30-day cancellation. Prices in CAD.
DPO Essential
$1,800/month
For early-stage companies that need a named privacy officer and the basics covered.
Designated privacy officer
Privacy policy suite
Annual ROPA build or review
Breach response playbook
Email support
Most popular
DPO Growth
$3,500/month
For growing companies handling sensitive data or scaling fast.
Everything in Essential
Quarterly ROPA updates
PIA / DPIA support
Vendor privacy reviews
Annual staff training session
DSAR handling and monthly check-in
DPO Scale
$6,000/month
For companies with complex data flows, enterprise customers or regulatory exposure.
Everything in Growth
Unlimited PIAs and vendor reviews
Quarterly board privacy briefing
Priority incident response
AI governance module included (AI inventory, use policy and risk reviews)
DPO Growth plus the AI Governance Retainer together are $5,000 per month, saving $1,000 against taking both separately. Most growing companies need both, because their personal data and their AI systems overlap.
Common questions
How much does a fractional DPO cost in Canada?
Fractional DPO services in Canada typically range from about $750 to over $3,000 per month depending on scope, with complex or high-risk programmes priced above that. LegallyYours plans run from $1,800 per month (DPO Essential) to $6,000 per month (DPO Scale), month to month with 30-day cancellation.
Does my company need a privacy officer in Canada?
Yes. Under PIPEDA, every organization must designate an individual who is accountable for compliance with the Act’s privacy principles. Under Quebec’s Law 25, the person in charge of the protection of personal information is, by default, the person with the highest authority in the organization, and the role can be delegated in writing. Most startups delegate it to a fractional DPO rather than leaving it with the CEO by default.
Fractional DPO or in-house hire, which is better?
A senior in-house privacy hire in Canada typically costs well into six figures per year before benefits, and the hiring process takes months. A fractional DPO gives you senior-level leadership immediately, at a fraction of the cost, and scales up or down with your needs. Companies usually move in-house once privacy work consistently fills a full-time role.
Our team uses AI tools. Does a fractional DPO cover that?
Partly. AI tools that process personal data sit inside the privacy programme: they belong in your records of processing, your privacy impact assessments and your vendor reviews, and your fractional DPO covers them there. Deeper AI governance, such as a full AI inventory, risk classification under the EU AI Act and Canadian rules, and an AI use policy, is a dedicated service. LegallyYours offers both, the DPO Scale plan includes an AI governance module, and the two services bundle together at $5,000 per month.
How quickly can we start?
Most clients are onboarded within one to two weeks. The first month covers your privacy officer designation, a review of your current policies and data handling, and your initial records of processing, so the foundations are in place quickly.
Your privacy lead
LegallyYours is led by Eni A., a Fellow of Information Privacy (IAPP) and AI governance professional based in Ottawa, advising startups and growing companies across Canada on privacy, data protection and responsible AI.
FIP · AIGP · CIPP/C · CIPM · ISC2 CC · LLB · BL · LLM
Not sure where your privacy stands?
Take the free Privacy & AI Governance Health Check, or book a consultation and we will map your gaps together.