Getting Started in Small Claims Court:

Question:How do I start a Small Claims Court case in Ontario and make sure my Plaintiff’s Claim (Form 7A) is complete?

Answer:Lynxs Paralegal can help you commence a Small Claims Court proceeding by guiding you through the Plaintiff’s Claim (Form 7A) process, including what facts to include or avoid, how to address countersuit and third-party issues, and how to plan for possible costs or limitation deadline problems under the Rules of the Small Claims Court, rule 7.  Before you file, ask for a review of your draft so you don’t risk misnaming parties or creating pleading weaknesses that can make the matter more complicated later.  If you want a clear, practical next step in Ontario, call (647) 249-6676 to discuss your situation and get legal services support for your Small Claims Court matter.

Add this website to Google Preferred Sources

Commencing Proceedings and Retaining Legal Counsel for Small Claims Court

To get a lawsuit started in Small Claims Court, the preparing and issuing of the document known as a Plaintiff's Claim is required.  The Plaintiff's Claim document is a specific form, numbered and referred to as Form 7A, and is accessible online.  The main parts of the Form 7A document are quite easy to complete as such simply involves filling in a few blanks of information.  The more challenging aspect of starting a lawsuit is knowing what parts of the story to say and what parts of the story to avoid saying, if any.  There are various rules regarding the extent of information that is required.  The prescribed rules for the requirements when beginning a Small Claims Court lawsuit are available for review at Rule 7 of the Rules of the Small Claims Court.

Note: Please contact Lynxs Paralegal by phone at: (647) 249-6676 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.

Although people may think of Small Claims Court cases as an informal legal process, and indeed there are many Small Claims Court cases that are relatively simple enough that minimal, if any, legal training is required, there are still many concerns to consider. Concerns to carefully consider include:

• What if a counterclaim is brought against me?
• What if I lose the lawsuit?
• What if I lose and legal costs are awarded against me?
• What if the Defendant includes a 'third party'?
• What if I name someone wrong?
• What if the case is more complicated than expected?

The above questions, and many more, deserve careful review before haphazardly starting a lawsuit.  Understanding and carefully reviewing the potential complications, considerations, and consequences, before starting a lawsuit is highly important.