Small Claims Court accepts claims of up $35,000.00
If you have been owed money, such as unpaid wages, or through a breach of contract, chances are that you have at least heard of the Small Claims Court. In fact, for most people their only contact with civil courts in Ontario has been via the Small Claims Court.
The Small Claims Court in Ontario handles actions for recovery of money or property. The court has jurisdiction in matters where the total amount claimed does not exceed $35,000, excluding interest and costs such as court fees.
Where the amount sought is higher than $35,000, the action can only be brought before the Superior Court. Claims pursued in Superior Court, however, are far more complicated. As a result, some individuals may be willing to waive the amount owed over $35,000, to take advantage of the speed of the Small Claims Court. Claims in respect of which an action can be brought include:
- Claims for money owed under an agreement generally, including unpaid accounts for goods or services sold and delivered, unpaid loans or rent, and NSF cheques;
- Claims for damages generally, spanning damages in breach of contract, Property damage, personal injury etc.
Why are we your best bet?
Proceedings in Small Claims Courts are usually simple enough for individuals to follow. As a result, it is quite common to see litigants choose to conduct their case by themselves. Although there’s nothing wrong with this, having a professional represent you only increases your chances of a positive outcome.
Small Claims Courts do not apply the formal rules of evidence, but parties before the court must still be able to present their cases supported by whatever evidence in such a way as to sway the court in their favor. For a litigant trying to successfully recover their money, his ability to present his case convincingly and properly, and backed by evidence can make all the difference.
The court or its officials are not obligated to give you legal advice on how to conduct your case beyond general information on court procedure. And in some cases, the court will recommend that you hire a licensed paralegal or lawyer from the get go.
At Ontario Legal Pool, we provide guaranteed efficiency and dedication to better represent you. Our licensed, results-driven pool of paralegals combine technical, legal and creative competence to give you that edge in legal representation. More so, we provide these services for a dynamic clientele including public businesses and SMEs. We not only assist our clients with their cases, we educate them as well.