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Ontario Small Claims Court · For the plaintiff · rule 7.01(2)

Form 7A: Plaintiff's Claim

Form 7A is the Plaintiff's Claim, the document that starts an action in the Ontario Small Claims Court. The court hears claims for money or personal property up to $50,000 (Courts of Justice Act s. 23; O. Reg. 626/00 s. 1). The form states who sues whom, what happened, and the amount claimed (rule 7.01(2)). You attach the documents you rely on, or explain why you cannot (rule 7.01(2)).

Fill Form 7A, free The official PDF (ontariocourtforms.on.ca)

When you use it

  • • Use it when someone owes you money, or holds your property, and the amount is $50,000 or less (O. Reg. 626/00 s. 1).
  • • Start the claim within 2 years of the day you discovered the loss (Limitations Act, 2002, s. 4 and s. 5).
  • • File it in the court location where the events happened, or where a defendant lives or carries on business (rule 6.01).
  • • Do not split one cause of action into 2 claims to fit under the limit (rule 6.02).
  • • Use Form 1A when the claim has more than 1 plaintiff or more than 1 defendant (Form 1A).

The facts

Rule
rule 7.01(2), O. Reg. 258/98
Court fee
$108 to file ($228 for a frequent claimant) (O. Reg. 332/16, as stored 2026-01-06)
Official revision
Aug 2022
Who files it
For the plaintiff

How this site fills it

The free Form 7A interview asks about the parties, what happened, and the amount. It fills the official PDF and writes your reasons as a Schedule A page when the box on the form is full. It adds Form 1A when you enter more parties.

Fill Form 7A, free

How to complete and file Form 7A

  1. 01

    Check the deadline: 2 years from the day you discovered the loss (Limitations Act, 2002, s. 4).

  2. 02

    Name each party by its full legal name and capacity (rule 7.01(2)).

  3. 03

    Write what happened, with the dates, the places, and the amount claimed (rule 7.01(2)).

  4. 04

    Attach copies of the documents you rely on, or explain why they are missing (rule 7.01(2)).

  5. 05

    Claim prejudgment interest at the contract rate, or at the Courts of Justice Act rate (Courts of Justice Act s. 128).

  6. 06

    File the claim through Submissions Online outside Toronto (rule 1.05.4) or the Ontario Courts Public Portal in Toronto (rule 1.05.5).

  7. 07

    Pay the filing fee, or apply for a fee waiver (O. Reg. 332/16; O. Reg. 2/05).

  8. 08

    Serve each defendant within 6 months of issue, and prove it with Form 8A (rule 8.01(2); rule 8.09.1(2)).

Questions people ask about Form 7A

Do I need a lawyer to fill out Form 7A?
No. You can fill and file Form 7A yourself, and the free interview here fills the official form from your answers. The court caps the costs a successful party can recover for representation at 15% of the amount claimed (Courts of Justice Act s. 29). Many people represent themselves. A licensed lawyer can check your claim before you file: a lawyer check from $199, or filed for you at $499. Legal services provided by Mithril Law — Jonathan Kleiman, licensed Ontario lawyer.
How long do I have to serve Form 7A?
Serve the issued claim on each defendant within 6 months after the clerk issues it; the court can extend the time (rule 8.01(2)). To serve a person, leave a copy with them (rule 8.02). If personal service fails, you can leave a sealed copy with an adult at their home (rule 8.03(2)). Then mail or courier another copy the same or next day (rule 8.03(2)). Prove service with Form 8A (rule 8.09.1(2)).
Where do I file Form 7A?
File it at the Small Claims Court location where the cause of action arose, or where a defendant lives or carries on business (rule 6.01). Outside Toronto, file online through Small Claims Court Submissions Online (rule 1.05.4). In Toronto, file through the Ontario Courts Public Portal (rule 1.05.5). The clerk issues the claim and gives it a claim number (Form 7A). You then serve the issued copy (rule 8.01(2)).
What is Schedule A on Form 7A?
Schedule A is the attached page where you write the reasons for the claim when the box on Form 7A is full. There is no official Schedule A form. You attach your own pages and tick the box on the form that says more pages are attached (Form 7A). State what happened, with the dates, the places, and what each defendant did (rule 7.01(2)). The free interview writes Schedule A for you as a separate page.
What happens after I file Form 7A?
The clerk issues the claim. You serve it within 6 months (rule 8.01(2)). The defendant has 20 days after service to file a Defence (rule 9.01). With no Defence, you can ask the clerk to note the defendant in default (rule 11.01) and, for a debt, to sign default judgment (rule 11.02). With a Defence, the clerk sets a settlement conference within 90 days (rule 13.01(3)).

Legal information, not legal advice. Rules are from the Rules of the Small Claims Court, O. Reg. 258/98; fees from O. Reg. 332/16 as stored 2026-01-06. Items marked [VERIFY] have not been checked against the current consolidation. Legal services provided by Mithril Law — Jonathan Kleiman, licensed Ontario lawyer.