Small Claims Court

The Small Claims Court is a branch of the Superior Court of Justice (CJA, s. 22(1)), and its jurisdiction is set out in s. 23 of the CJA. This court is meant to provide a more accessible and less formal way of litigating disputes, where the amount of money claimed or the value of personal property to be recovered does not exceed the amount prescribed by regulation, currently $35,000.00.

In a case with a defendant's claim, the court can hear a case with a $35,000.00 plaintiff's claim and a $35,000.00 claim, therefore putting $70,000.00 in dispute in the Small Claims Court. The processes involved in the Small Claims Court from the beginning to the end can often be overwhelming and stressful for unrepresented parties and may lead to an unfavorable outcome if all the steps and rules governing the Small Claims Court are not properly followed or deadlines are missed.

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