Buying a business may involve different things for different businesses, depending upon the business.  You may or may not need to get your lawyer involved in all aspects of the deal.  A purchase of a business may involve:

• negotiating the purchase or sale
• reviewing tax implications of the purchase or sale
• preparing the contract for the sale of assets or shares
• negotiating the transfer of lease, or a new lease
• reviewing any contracts to be taken over
• reviewing and advising on employee obligations
• transfers or new applications for business licences, liquor licences, and so on.

Most experienced business lawyers charge between $250 to $500 per hour.  Legal fees for handling a purchase of assets usually ranges from $3,000 to $5000 [and more], if the lawyer is not involved in the negotiations of the purchase or sale.  Taxes and disbursements would be in addition to this.

If you're purchasing or selling shares, the fees are often a bit more, because of extra considerations, such as income tax factors and the company's liabilities.

If the lawyer is involved in negotiating the sale or purchase, or if there are other complications involved, the fees go up substantially, depending on how reasonable the other side is.  Fees of $8,000 to $15,000 would not be uncommon.