Guides

Plain answers about Small Claims Court in Ontario. Legal information, not legal advice.

• How Small Claims Court works in Ontario (2026)The path from demand letter to judgment for claims up to $50,000 in Ontario Small Claims Court.
• Is your claim worth it? Costs, time, and collectionHow to decide if a Small Claims Court case is worth your money and your time.
• How to write a demand letter (and why you send one first)A clear demand letter can end a money dispute before you pay a court fee.
• How to fill in a Plaintiff's Claim (Form 7A), step by stepWhat goes in each part of Form 7A, how to file it in Toronto or the rest of Ontario, and when the claim counts as issued.
• How to serve your claim, and how to prove it (Form 8A)The service rules, the 6-month deadline, the day service counts, and the Affidavit of Service.
• Did someone serve you with a claim? File a Defence (Form 9A) in 20 daysWhat to do in the first 20 days after service of a Plaintiff's Claim, and what happens if you miss them.
• What happens at a settlement conference, and how to prepareThe mandatory settlement conference: the timeline, the 14-day disclosure rule, the offer, and what the judge can do.
• Court fees in Small Claims Court, and the fee waiverEvery Small Claims Court fee through December 31, 2026, and who can get the fees waived.
• Interest: what you can claim and how to calculate itContract interest, the court interest rates for every quarter of 2026, and a simple calculation you can copy.
• You won. How to collect: garnishment, writs, and examinationsThe enforcement steps after a Small Claims Court judgment: examination, garnishment, writs, renewals, and what a judgment cannot do.
• A contractor took your deposit. How to get it backHow to demand a renovation or construction deposit back, and how to sue in Small Claims Court.
• Unpaid invoice: how to sue for it in Small Claims CourtThe path from a late invoice to a judgment: deadlines, interest, and fees.
• Wrongful dismissal up to $50,000: court or an ESA claim?The 2 paths after a job loss, the ESA election trap, and how to claim in Small Claims Court.
• How to sue a friend or a family member for a loanHow to prove a personal loan, when the 2-year clock starts, and how to claim in Small Claims Court.
• Car accident property damage: when Small Claims Court can helpOntario insurance rules come first after a crash. When a court claim for vehicle or property damage fits, and the 10-day rule for road claims.
• Landlord and tenant money disputes: the LTB or Small Claims Court?Most residential tenancy disputes go to the Landlord and Tenant Board. How to pick the correct forum.
• Deposits in Ontario: rent, damage, and prepaid goodsWhich deposits are legal in Ontario, and how to get a deposit back from a business.
• Which Small Claims Court location do you file in?The venue rule, the 3 tests, Toronto's portal versus the rest of Ontario, and how to pick the correct courthouse.
• Default judgment: when the defendant does not answerThe steps from a missed 20-day Defence deadline to a default judgment, the Form 11A trap, and what can undo a default.
• The Offer to Settle (Form 14A) and the double-costs ruleHow a written offer can double your costs at trial, how to serve one the correct way, and what happens when an offer is accepted.
• Frequent claimant or infrequent claimant: the 10-claim fee ruleThe 2 fee levels in Small Claims Court, and when the higher level applies.
• The 2-year limitation period: when your clock startsThe discovery rule, the dates that start the 2-year clock, what can pause or restart it, and what to do when the date is close.
• How to name the right defendantCorporations, numbered companies, sole proprietors, and partnerships: how to sue the correct legal name, and how to fix a wrong one.
• How to sue someone outside OntarioWhen Ontario Small Claims Court can hear the case, how to serve far away, and the collection problem.
• Small Claims Court for your small businessWhy businesses collect debts in Small Claims Court, who can appear for a corporation, and how to run claims without waste.
• Your settlement conference is by video: how to prepareVideo is the default for settlement conferences. The hearing-method rules, Forms 1B and 1C, and a preparation list.
• What to bring to trial in Small Claims CourtThe trial-day checklist: documents served 30 days before, copies, witnesses and summonses, receipts, and your offer.
• Can you appeal a Small Claims Court judgment?The $5,000 appeal threshold, the 30-day notice, the stay, the fees, and the other ways to challenge a judgment.
• Wage garnishment and the 20% limitHow to garnish wages or a bank account after a judgment, the steps and prerequisites, and the Wages Act limits that protect the debtor.
• Paralegal, lawyer, or on your own in Small Claims Court?Who can represent you, what the 15% costs cap means, and how to pick the help you need.